Memory - Multi-Store Model Of Memory

Question 1

What is a model?

Answer 1

A model allows predictions to be made about human behaviour due to the visual representation of how something works.

Question 2

Who created MSM?

Answer 2

Atkinson and Shiffrin (1968)

Question 3

What is a linear model?

Answer 3

Information shown to flow through the system in one direction. (MSM).

Question 4

What is a passive store?

Answer 4

When the stores hold on to information before being lost or passed on.

Question 5

What is significant about the model?

Answer 5

It was the first model of memory – it was very influential and inspired a signifiant amount of research. Oversimplified but it made some testable predictions.

Question 6

How many memory stores does it suggest individuals have? How do they differ?

Answer 6

MSM suggest that memory is made up of 3 distinct and separate stores. They differ in coding, capacity and duration.

Question 7

How does information pass through each store?

Answer 7

Sensory register to STM = Attention. STM to LTM = Rehearsal. LTM to STM = Retrieval.
If certain conditions are met than information passes from store to store. However, information can be lost in each memory store.

Question 8

What is the coding of the sensory register?

Answer 8

Coding: store depends on the sense organ the information comes from. Echoic = Sound, Olfactory = Smell, Haptic = Touch, Iconic = Vision, Gustatory = Taste. Or we can say modality specific (encoded in the same way it’s received).

Question 9

What is the capacity of the sensory register?

Answer 9

Capacity: very large, has to contain all the sense impressions in the moment for all the senses. However, what’s only paid attention to is transferred to STM.

Question 10

What is the duration of the sensory register?

Answer 10

Duration: very short, it can be as low as 250 milliseconds. It can’t be retained for long as so much information is being held. However, each store has a different duration.

Question 11

How does information transfer to the STM store from the sensory register?

Answer 11

The sensory register will receive the sensory information and if we pay attention to it, the information will be transferred to STM.

This information will stay here for 18 – 30 seconds but if we rehearse it, it can be maintained in the STM for longer.

Question 12

What stores are with the sensory register?

Answer 12

Iconic, haptic, echoic, olfactory and gustatory.

Question 13

What is the coding of the STM store?

Answer 13

Coding: information in STM is stored acoustically (in sound form or spoken word).

Question 14

What is the capacity of the STM store?

Answer 14

Capacity: according to Miller, this is small as we can remember 7 items +/- 2. But this can be improved by chunking, which makes small sets/ groups of items. This reduces the overall number of items.

Question 15

What is the duration of the STM store?

Answer 15

Duration: short, 18-30 seconds. However, the duration of information can be extended by verbal rehearsal (rehearsal loop).

Question 16

What is displacement?

Answer 16

New information that can also ‘push out’ old information due to the limited capacity of STM.

Question 17

How can information get lost in this store (STM)?

Answer 17

Information is passed back from LTM with retrieval, and information can be lost by displacement (new information) or decay (lost over time).

Question 18

What is the coding of the LTM store?

Answer 18

Coding: information in LTM is stored semantically – this is in the form of “meaning.”

Question 19

What is the capacity of the LTM store?

Answer 19

Capacity: no limitation found for the information stored in LTM. Information can be lost but this isn’t because it’s “out of the room.” The information may still be in LTM but just not accessible.

Question 20

What is the duration of the LTM store?

Answer 20

Duration: potentially unlimited because recall of childhood is normal even for the oldest people.

Question 21

How does information enter the LTM store from STM?

Answer 21

Information comes in LTM through rehearsal from STM.

Question 22

How does information get recalled from the LTM store?

Answer 22

In order to use information in LTM it needs to be passed back to short term memory through retrieval.

Question 23

What are the key points about the case study of HM?

Answer 23

A strength of MSM is there’s supportive research from the case study of HM.

HM’s LTM was severely damaged. He couldn’t remember what he ate earlier that day or remember repeatedly reading the same magazine.

Even though his LTM was damaged, his STM was intact. He usually performed well on the STM test: immediate digit span.
Supports MSM as it provides evidence for the central feature model.

This is the idea that there are two separate and independent memory stores, LTM and STM, which increases the model’s validity.

On the other hand, HM is a case study of only one individual. Therefore, the results might not be generalised to others.

Furthermore, HM’s epilepsy medication might’ve affected his brain which made him different to other individuals.

Question 24

What is internal validity?

Answer 24

To what extent has the IV impacted the DV. The extent to which different parts of a measure are consistent within itself.

Question 25

What is external validity?

Answer 25

The extent to which a measure is reliable when repeated (eg a replication study at a different time and/or with different participants).