Memory: MSM , WMM and Types of LTM

Question 1

What are the 3 main points about the multi store model

Answer 1

-info is transferred through 3 separate unitary stores
-its a structural model
-info passes between stores in a linear way

Question 2

What are the 3 components of the multi store model

Answer 2

-sensory register
-short term memory
-long term memory

Question 3

What is the capacity , coding and duration of the sensory register

Answer 3

ca-unlimited
c-modality specific
d-250 milliseconds

Question 4

What does modality specific mean

Answer 4

that there are separate stores for different types of sensory input

Question 5

What is the capacity , coding and duration of STM

Answer 5

ca-5-9 items
c-mainly acoustic
d-18-30 seconds

Question 6

What is the capacity , coding and duration of LTM

Answer 6

ca-potentially unlimited
c-mainly semantically
d-potentially forever

Question 7

What are the two strengths of the multi store model

Answer 7

+evidence support
fMRIs have shown that different areas are active when doing different types of memory task which provides physical evidence for there being separate stores

+evidence support from case studies
(Milner 1956 )studied H.M who had his hippocampus removed , he was unable to form new LTM but his STM was unaffected which also provides evidence that ST and LTM are separate

Question 8

What are 2 weaknesses of the multi store model

Answer 8

-theres different types of rehearsal
(Craik and Watkins 1973) showed that the depth of rehearsal leads to a LTM forming rather than simple repetition and the model doesn’t account for this making it incomplete

-it doesn’t account for all memory types
some memories are more easily remembered than others , the model oversimplifies memory so is incomplete

Question 9

What is a further weakness of the multi store model

Answer 9

-the memory stores are not unitary
evidence shows that there are different types of LTM and the model doesn’t account for this , its an oversimplification of memory

Question 10

What are the 3 different types of LTM

Answer 10

-episodic
-semantic
-procedural

Question 11

What are the key features of episodic LTMs

Answer 11

-they are memories for life events
-info is stored with reference to time and place
-memories are expressed verbally and are available for conscious inspection

Question 12

What are the key features of semantic LTMs

Answer 12

-they are memories for facts , general knowledge and rules of language
info is available for conscious inspection and is expressed verbally

Question 13

What are the key features of procedural LTMs

Answer 13

-they are memories for motor skills and actions
-info is not available for conscious inspection and is difficult to express verbally
-info is more resistant to forgetting

Question 14

What evidence support is there from brain scan studies to support the different types of LTM

Answer 14

theyve shown that different types of LTM are stored in different parts of the brain
episodic and semantic are located in the prefrontal cortex
procedural involves the cerebellum and basal ganglia

Question 15

What evidence support is there from case studies to support the different types of LTM

Answer 15

Clive Wearing lost all his episodic memories and most of his semantic memories but not his procedural memories

Question 16

Who devised the working memory model

Answer 16

Baddeley and Hitch

Question 17

What are the 2 key features of the WMM

Answer 17

-that short term memory is an active process
-that short term memory isnt a unitary store , it is flexible and complex

Question 18

What are the 4 components of the working memory model

Answer 18

-the central executive
-the phonological loop
-the episodic buffer
-the visuo-spatial sketchpad

Question 19

What is the role of the central executive and does it have a limited/unlimited capacity

Answer 19

to control the 3 slave systems
-it controls attentional resources by deciding which info is attended to
-it has a limited capacity

Question 20

What is the role of the phonological loop and what are its key components

Answer 20

-to process auditory based info , it is a temporary store with limited capacity
phonological store-a ST storage system
articulatory process-an active rehearsal mechanism

Question 21

What is the role of the visuospatial sketchpad and what are its key components

Answer 21

-its a temporary store that helps us navigate and interact with our physical environment
visual cache-a temporary visual store
inner scribe-a rehearsal mechanism

Question 22

What is the role of the episodic buffer and what is its capacity

Answer 22

-its a temporary store responsible for integrating verbal and spatial info into a coherent episode
-it has a limited capacity of 4 chunks

Question 23

What are 2 strengths of the working memory model

Answer 23

+there is evidence support from case studies
Patient KF suffered brain damage in a motorbike accident and she had poor memory for verbal info but not visual which supports the idea that there are separate components for different types of STM

+WM capacity can be used to asses suitability for certain jobs
the US Air Force use WM capacity to assess pilots which helps us to understand and explain memory deficits which can give possibility of developing treatments , the model has prac apps which increases external validity

Question 24

What is a further strength of the WMM

Answer 24

+ there is evidence from brain scanning research
its shown that different areas of the brain are active when performing different types of tasks
attention-left temporal
spatial-left pariatal
supports idea that there are separate subsystems for different STM functions

Question 25

What is a weakness of the WMM

Answer 25

-it doesnt account for musical memory and there is a lack of clarity over the central executive
ppts can listen to instrumental music without impairing their performance on an acoustic task and the CE is hard to test so little is known of its function
suggests the model is incomplete