Memory Models: MSM (1968) Flashcards
Who proposed this memory model?
Atkinson and Shiffrin (1968)
What is meant by information being processed in a linear fashion?
Information is processed through a system in a set order, such as encoding, storing, and retrieving.
List the 3 main sections of MSM in order.
- Sensory store
- Short term memory
- Long term memory
State the capacity, duration, and type of encoding for the sensory store.
Capacity = 4 items Duration = 1/2 a second Encoding = all modalities
How is information lost in the sensory store?
Through decay or for not being paid attention to in the first place.
How does information move from the sensory store to short term memory?
If it is paid attention to.
State the capacity, duration, and type of encoding for the short term memory.
Capacity = 5-9 items Duration = 15-30 seconds Encoding = acoustic
How does information stay in short term memory?
Through repetition of items in the rehearsal loop.
How is information lost in the short term memory?
Through decay from not rehearsing enough or displacement when capacity of items reaches the max.
How does information move back and forth between short term memory and long term memory?
Transferring info from the STM into the LTM and retrieving info from the LTM into the STM
Using an example, briefly summarise Miller’s (1956) theory of ‘chunking’.
More information can be recalled by grouping similar items together to reduce a larger capacity down to smaller groups, such as splitting an 11 digit phone number into 3 sections.
State the capacity, duration, and type of encoding for the long term memory.
Capacity = unlimited Duration = infinite Encoding = semantic
How is information lost in the long term memory?
Through decay of not being retrieved enough to rehearse or if there is retrieval/transfer failure.
What is the ‘tip-on-the-tongue’ phenomenon and who proposed it?
Brown and McNeill (1966) described this concept as not being able to fully recall a memory but knowing different aspects of it.
How does the ‘tip-on-the-tongue- phenomenon relate to long term memory?
It suggests that there are multiple traces of a single memory fragmented into different aspects of the whole.
Using the acronym ‘EACH’, evaluate 2 ‘evidence’ points.
P - Research from Clive Wearing’s case study supports
E - He suffers from retrograde amnesia and can’t form new long term memories
E - This supports the existence of separate stores
P - Peterson and Peterson (1959) supports
E - Ppts were told to remember nonsense trigrams (e.g. BNV) and they found that after 3 seconds 80% of trigrams were recalled but after 18 seconds less than 10% were recalled
E - Therefore this supports the existence of rehearsal aiding memory during the 3 seconds and the process of decay after an extended period at 18 seconds
Using the acronym ‘EACH’, evaluate two ‘how’ points.
P - Peterson and Peterson (1959) has low task validity
E - They used nonsense trigrams (e.g. BNV) to reflect memory
E - This lacks mundane realism as does not represent how memory works in the real world, such as remembering to put the bins out
P - Peterson and Peterson (1959) has high reliability
E - They used a standardised procedure of showing ppts the same nonsense trigrams (e.g. BNV) and testing them after 3 seconds and again at 18 seconds
E - Therefore this is easy to replicate and compare due to quantitative data
Are there any applications?
P - Yes
E - The model emphasises the importance of rehearsal in forming new LTM and revisiting old memories to make them less likely to decay
E - Therefore the advice for students would be to keep revisiting info so it doesn’t decay
Using the acronym ‘EACH’, evaluate a ‘credibility’ point.
P - MSM is too simplistic
E - It reduces memory down to 3 components with little detail on the complex functions and processes of each and doesn’t account for when rehearsal is not needed to form a new LTM
E - Therefore the explanation of memory as a whole is not sufficient enough and so reduces credibility
