memory: multi- store model of memory Flashcards
Define duration
a term used to define the length of each memory
Define encoding
Changing incoming information into a form usable to different kinds of memory - like an input
Define capacity
Holding information in the memory system, like STM or LTM
Define retrieval
Recovering (remembering) information from storage, like an output
Describe multi-store model in detail
The multi-store model explains memory according to its structure (the 3 stores) and processes (attention and rehearsal).
According to the model, there are 3 components to memory.
Information enters the sensory memory first, from the sense organs (eyes, ears etc.). Here, info is encoded in a form that corresponds to its sense. A visual image would be recorded as an iconic memory, for example. It is only stored for a duration of at the most, a few seconds, because this store is overwhelmed by information from the environment. Most of this information is lost through decay. Only that which we pay attention to enters the short term memory.
This store has a limited capacity (of about seven items, or ‘chunks’ of information). Information is usually encoded in an echoic form (as sounds). The duration of the memory here is temporary, lasting 30 seconds. That is, unless it is elaborately rehearsed, where it would be transferred to long term memory. Here, most memories are encoded in a semantic form (according to its meaning). The capacity of this store is thought to be potentially unlimited, and although the duration of the memories is difficult to establish, there is evidence that some can last a whole lifetime.
Describe the sensory store
Constantly receives info from the external environment.
Most incoming information receives little attention.
Stores information for a few seconds (max) in its original form. Hence, second or two DURATION
If it is encoded it will pass to the STM otherwise it will fade.
Information is processed from the senses:
iconic memory (sight)
echoic memory (sounds)
haptic memory (touch)
Describing the MSM: Sensory Store
- Duration (Walsh and Thompson)
Walsh and Thompson (1978) found that the iconic sensory store has an average duration of 500 milliseconds, which decreases as individuals get older. This suggests the duration of sensory memories is limited and dependent on age.
This research has shown… information does not stay within the sensory store for very long, it will decay unless you pay attention to it.
Describing the MSM: Sensory Store
- capacity (Sperling)
Sperling (1960) studied the sensory memory for vision (the iconic store). He asked subjects to recall as many letters as they could from a grid of 12 symbols that he displayed on a screen for just 50ms, and found that while they could only recall around 4 of the symbols before the grid faded from their sensory memory, they typically reported seeing a lot more than they had time to report.
This research has shown… that the capacity for the sensory store is potentially unlimited.
Describe short-term memory
This is where all data we have paid attention to goes initially.
The STM only has a limited capacity (7 +/- 2 pieces of information) so information we want to remember has to go elsewhere. We can store it more if we ‘chunk’ the information.
Information here is encoded acoustically. That means we remember it by its sound (think of repeating a list or phone number)
It also has a limited duration (up to 30 seconds). We need to rehearse this information to move it into our long term memory. If this doesn’t happen, then information here gets lost through displacement (i.e. it gets pushed out of our short term memory).
Rehearsal here acts as a holding bay and is no more than maintenance rehearsal, yet could be expanded using chunking
Describing the MSM: Long-term memory
-duration (Bahrick)
Duration
Bahrick et al. (1975) asked pps to identify their former classmates from a set of 50 photos, 14-48 years after leaving High School. Results showed the recognition group was 90% accurate after 14 years and 60% accurate after 47 years.
This research has shown… that long term memories could potentially last a lifetime.
Describing the MSM: Long-term memory
- capacity (wagenaar)
Wagenaar (1986) created a diary of 2400 events over 6 years and tested himself on recall of events rather than dates, finding he too had excellent recall, again suggesting the capacity of LTM is extremely large.
This research has shown… the capacity of long term memory is potentially unlimited.
Evaluation of MSM: research from Glanzer and Cunitz
A strength of the Multi-store model of memory (MSM) is that there is research to support the explanation.
Glanzer and Cunitz (1966) presented subjects with a list of words and they had to free recall as many as possible. They found that participants were most likely to recall words from the start of the list (primacy effect) as they had time to transfer to the LTM store and those from the end of the list (recency effect) as they were still in the STM store.
This implies… as the model suggests we have a separate STM and LTM.
Evaluation of MSM: research (HM)
There is also further naturalistic research support for the existence of separate memory stores from the case of HM.
HM was a male patient who suffered from severe epilepsy. After psychosurgery his temporal lobes of both sides of the brain were removed. Since then, he has been unable to form new LT memories. His STM is relatively normal but he could not extend his STM by rehearsal and therefore was unable to transfer information from the STM to the LTM.
This could imply… we do indeed have two separate memory stores for STM and LTM.
Evaluation of MSM: Alternatives (WMM)
However, an issue with the MSM is that there are alternative theories that may explain the features of the memory more effectively.
For instance the working memory model is a more recent, alternative approach to understanding the STM: it takes into account that each store is not a single structure and consists of several components; it doesn’t try to oversimplify memory
This model is well supported and suggests that the MSM is a far too simplified model of memory.
Evaluation of MSM: Theoretical problems
One theoretical problem with the MSM is that it mainly emphasises the structure of memory and tends to neglect the process elements of memory.
For example… it is argued that the MSM only focuses on cognition and neglects other factors that may be part of the memory process. For instance, it ignores when events are emotionally charged, or when events may make us anxious, as these have been linked to memory performance. As such, we could say the MSM suffers from machine reductionism.
This is a problem because… the MSM believes memories in LTM are semantically coded, and seems to ignore the role of emotion
