Memory: models of memory

Question 1

Explain Atkinson + Shifrin’s MSM (multi-store model)

Answer 1

• Memory consists of 3 stores -> sensory register, short-term store and a long-term store.
• Info from environment (visual/auditory etc) initially goes to sensory register.
  -> not noticeable, however if paying attention, info will pass to the STM.
• STM has a finite capacity and duration -> but if info is rehearsed then it can be transferred to LTM.

                                                              <- Rehearsal <- Sensory -> sensory register -> (Attention) STM -> (Rehearsal) -> LTM

(SEE NOTES)

Question 2

(+) explain the primacy effect (MSM)

Answer 2

• evidence of the primacy effect: studies show that ppts are able to recall earlier items better than those in the middle.
  -> MSM: earlier items will have been rehearsed better and transferred to the LTM.
  -> If rehearsal is prevented by an interference task, the effect disappears.

Question 3

list the strengths and weaknesses of the MSM

Answer 3

Positive:
- evidence of the primacy effect
- recency effect
- Miller case study on HM

Negative:
- evidence against rehearsal
- oversimplification

Question 4

(+) explain the recency effect (MSM)

Answer 4

• ppts are able to remember the last few items of a list.
  -> STM has a capacity of about 7 -> so words in the middle are displaced from STM by the last few words are heard.

Question 5

(+) explain how Milner study on HM supports the MSM

Answer 5

• HM suffered severe epilepsy.
• seizures were based in the hippocampus, doctors surgically removed part of the brain around this area.
  -> reduced epilepsy but was not able to form long-term memories.
• Study supports the idea that different types of memory are in the brain.

Question 6

(-) explain how rehearsal may not always be involved in memory (MSM)

Answer 6

• in real life people don’t always rehearse info, yet still transfer info into the LTM.
  -> Rehearsal is not always needed for LTM and some items can’t be rehearsed (e.g. smells).

Question 7

(-) explain how the MSM may be oversimplified

Answer 7

• Assumes there is only 1 LTM store and 1 STM store.
  -> this is disproved by evidence from brain damaged patients which shows there are different STM and LTM stores.

Question 8

Explain the features of the WMM

Answer 8

• The STM is an active processor which contains several different stores.
• Central executive is a key component, can be described as attention.
  -> has limited capacity and controls ‘slave systems’ that also have a limited capacity.

Phonological loop: holds speech-based info -> made up of the phonological store (inner ear) an an articulatory process (inner voice, rehearses info through repetition).

• Visuo-spatial sketchpad: deals with temporary storage of visual and spatial info.
• Episodic buffer: briefly stores info from subsystems and integrates, along with info from the LTM, to make complete ‘episodes’.

Question 9

Explain how the WMM is based on experimental evidence

Answer 9

• based off of studies using ‘interference tasks’.
• ppts performing 2 tasks which simultaneously use the same system -> performance will be affected -> e.g. saying ‘the the the’ while silently reading something is very difficult.
  -> in the WMM: both tasks use the phonological loop which as a limited capacity -> can’t cope with both tasks.
• However, if tasks involve different, systems, performance is not affected.
  -> saying ‘the the the’ whilst tracking a moving object (which involves the visuo-spatial sketchpad).

Question 10

Evaluate the WMM

Answer 10

(+) Shallice + Warrington case study of KF who was brain-damaged -> impaired STM.
-> problems with immediate recall of words presented verbally but not with visual info.
-> Impaired articulatory loop but an intact visual-spatial sketchpad -> evidence of separate stores in the STM.

(+) less emphasis on rehearsal than MSM.
-> Can explain why some things end up in the LTM without rehearsal -> other processes are in play.

(-) Central executive is simplistic and vague.
-> no explanation of what is apart from being involved in attention.
-> Difficult to test central executive.

(-) focus on STM -> doesn’t explain how info is transferred to LTM.

(-) WMM is supported by lab studies which reduces ecological validity -> may not be representative of the real world.