Memory Models Flashcards
What is the multi stage memory model?
sensory store via attention to STM to transfer to LTM and retrieval back to STM. Rehearsal occurs at STM. Information can be lost at all times
What is the Short-term Sensory Store?
All information in the form of stimuli from our display enters the brain
Short Term Sensory Store has large capacity
Info held for short time (0.25-1 sec) before it is filtered
Selective attention takes place after the STSS where important information is filtered from irrelevant information
What is the Short-term memory store?
The ‘workplace’
Limited information can be stored here (5-9 items)
Held for approx 30 secs
Rehearsal must take place to hold information for longer
Information held through process of chunking
Information deemed important is rehearsed, and moves into LTM
What is transfer/ encoding? what is semantic?
Conversion of information into codes called visual / auditory and semantic codes
Semantic - conversion of information according to meaning
What is long term memory?
Limitless capacity
Information held for long time
Stored information has been encoded
Helped if information has association or meaning
Continued rehearsal is key
Recall & remembering of information results in information being passed between LTM and STM
what is Retrieval (Decoding)?
Recovering the stored information
Depends on the amount of information + how well we know it
Previous experiences affect how we judge and interpret information, and our course of action
All relevant information passes through the STM
The process of chunking (organization of info) can help
Items need to be rehearsed before they go into LTM
what are the pros and cons of the multi store model?
Pros -
Simple to understand
Explains how an individual can deal with large amounts of info.
Gives a realistic answer to how an individual deals with / filters lots of information that they take in (from their surroundings) i.e. with sensory memory filtering information before it enters the STM
Explains how those with brain damage can suffer from dysfunctional memory
Explains how people with memory conditions can remember things from long ago but not what just happened
LTM explains how an individual can perform a skill that they haven’t done for a long time, (e.g. riding a bike)
It is true that info that is repeated /chunked is more likely to be stored in LTM
Cons -
Model is too simple or hasn’t been proven
Does not explain why an individual might remember one type of information but not another, e.g. a coach’s explanation but not a diagram
Evidence suggests STM is not a unitary store/ has separate parts
Does not prove the distinction between STM and LTM or does not effectively explain the interaction between STM and LTM
Does not quantify how much repetition results in LTM storage or not everything that is repeated is stored in the LTM or some people will remember things they look at once
Doesn’t account for individual differences in capacity / duration
Doesn’t account for interest/ motivation/ concentration/ understanding and it’s effect on memory
Craik and Lockhart’s levels of processing model is better at explaining how depth of processing affects memory
What is the Levels of processing model?
Used to explain how memory stores information at different levels of depth.
Opposes view of set memory stores proposed by MSMM
Focuses on what we do with information rather than how we store it
How deeply we consider information dictates how long it lasts
How much information is considered is called ‘depth of processing’
The deeper the info is processed the longer the memory or memory trace
information is remembered and stored in LTM if the info is:
Considered
Understood
Has meaning (linked to past experiences/ memories)
what are the 3 possible levels related to processing info?
Structural level
Involves paying attention to what the word looks like (shallow level of processing)
Phonetic level
Processing sounds of words
Semantic level
Actual meaning of words (deepest level)
What are the pros and cons of the “levels of processing model?”
pros -
Explains well how we retain things we understand or have meaning
Explains that the longer and deeper we consider info the more we retain it
How much information is considered is called ‘depth of processing’
The deeper the info is processed the longer the memory or memory trace
Cons -
Longer time taken to process info does NOT always lead to better recall
Difficulty defining what ‘deep’ processing actually involves
Doesn’t account for individual differences
