Memory: Multistore Model Of Memory

Question 1

Who created the multi store model of memory

Answer 1

Richard Atkinson and Richard shiffrin (1968)

Question 2

What are the 3 stores in the MSM

Answer 2

Sensory register
Stm
LTM

Question 3

How does information enter the multi store model

Answer 3

A stimulus from the environment, passes into the sensory register along with other information.

Question 4

Does the sensory register have multiple stores

Answer 4

Yes

Question 5

What are the different stores of the sensory register

Answer 5

Iconic memory - visual information coded visually

Echoic memory - auditory information coded acoustically

Question 6

Why does material in the sensory register last only very briefly

Answer 6

Duration is less than half a second

Question 7

The sensory register has —- capacity

Answer 7

High

Question 8

What do you have to do to allow information to pass further along the memory system

Answer 8

Pay attention to it

Question 9

Where does the memory pass into after the sensory register

Answer 9

The STM

Question 10

Why is the stm called the limited capacity store

Answer 10

On average the capacity score for stm is 7+or - 2

Question 11

Recall the coding and duration of the stm

Answer 11

Coded acoustically

Lasts about 30 seconds

Question 12

What is maintenance rehearsal

Answer 12

Occurs when rehearse material to ourselves over and over again. We can keep the information in out stm as long as we rehearse it and if long enough it can pass into Longterm memory

Question 13

What is the LTM a potentially permanent store for ?

Answer 13

Information that has been rehearsed for a prolonged time

Question 14

Recall the capacity,coding and duration of the LTM ?

Answer 14

LTM coded semantically
Unlimited capacity
Duration - potentially lifetime

Question 15

When we want to recall information in the LTM what has to happen

Answer 15

Info must be transferred back into stm by process called retrieval

Question 16

What is a strength of the MSM (research evidence)

Answer 16

Supporting laboratory evidence
Controlled labs Studies on capacity , duration and coding support the existence of separate memory stores.
Eg
Baddeley we tend to mix up words that sound similar when using our stm but mix up words that have similar meaning when using LTM.
Stm coded acoustically but LTM coded semantically, so they are different
Supports the idea of separate short and long term memory stores which is basis of MSM.

Question 17

Limitation of MSM (overly simplistic)

Answer 17

Criticised for being overly simplistic
Eg case of kF
Shows more than one memory store
Stm for digits was very poor when read out loud to him but his recall was much better when he read digits himself. This implies that there must be separate stm store for visual and another for auditory info

In addition different types of LTM 1 store for facts about the world another for skills and another for personal memory
Different memory stores shows LTM isn’t 1 thing

MSM provides simplistic model of memory and doesn’t take in account the different types of stm and LTM

Question 18

What is another strength of the MSM ? (Case study)

Answer 18

Supported by clinical case studies
Case of HM
Removal of hippocampus led to his LTM being affected
Would read a magazine repeatedly without remembering it yet performed well on immediate memory ( a measure of stm).

This provides support for the MSM as HM was unable to transfer information from his stm to LTM but was able to retrieve info from before his surgery, supporting the different processes involved in the MSM

Question 19

What is another limitation of the MSM (more than just maintenance rehearsal )

Answer 19

Long term memory involves more than just maintenance rehearsal.

For example Craik and Watkins (1973) found that the rehearsal type matter rather than the amount you do.

They discovered that maintenance rehearsal does not transfer info into LTM, it just maintains it in STM.
Elaborative rehearsal keeps information in LTM because it links info to existing knowledge

This suggests the MSM and process of rehearsal does not fully explain the process of remembering info in LTM

Question 20

What is another limitation of the MSM (methodological)

Answer 20

There are methodological issues with evidence used the support then MSM

Research studies that support model use digits, letters, words and consonants syllables

instead of meaningful materials such faces or names that our memory is actually related to in everyday life.

Reduces external validity as the artificial material used means the studies aren’t representative of real memory in everyday life