Memory : Multistore Model of Memory

Question 1

Whats a model?

Answer 1

A representation of how something works a and allows predictions to be made about human behaviour → simplifies it to probe aspects of reality

Question 2

Whats the MSM model by Atkinson & Shiffrin (1968)?

Answer 2

• first model of memory
• says memory is made up of 3 stores
• linear, sequential model (info passes through if certain conditions are met, but info can be lost)

Question 3

MSM model diagram

Answer 3

stimulus from environment
↓
Sensory register
↓
attention
↓
STM memory store → output ↰
↓ ↑
transfer retrieval ↑
↓ ↑
LTM memory store → maintenance rehearsal↑

Question 4

MSM ads

Answer 4

• supportive research from the HM case study
• supportive evidence from brain scans (that STM and LTM are distinct stores)
• provides testable conditions

Question 5

MSM disads

Answer 5

• some researchers argue they have overemphasised the role of maintenance rehearsal suggesting elaborating rehearsal is more important
• the model is too simplistic

Question 6

Stores within the sensory register

Answer 6

Iconic, echoic, haptic

Question 7

Iconic store

Answer 7

Where visual images are kept for a short period (visual encoding)

Question 8

Echoic store

Answer 8

Where auditory senses are kept for a short period (acoustic encoding)

Question 9

Haptic store

Answer 9

Retains physical senses of touch + internal muscle tensions (touch)

Question 10

HM case study

Answer 10

• had his hippocampus removed to treat his epilepsy but left his with severe cognitive deficiencies
• his LTM was heavily damaged but his STM was still intact → shows there are 2 distinct and separate stores

• HM could do mirror drawing + practice and get better at it → converted it to procedural memory (where you don’t need to think about it anymore and it frees up space in LTM and STM
• STM + LTM memories moved here and become habits → one of the oldest parts of the brain
• HM couldn’t use his episodic/ semantic memory → shows LTM isn’t one single store (MSM is too simplistic)

Question 11

HM case study disadvantages

Answer 11

• generalising to the general public is bad as he wasn’t a healthy individual (epilepsy) and had undergone surgery (meds could’ve had impacts → less ecologically valid)

Question 12

HM case study advantages

Answer 12

• there’s evidence + additional studies involving brain scans supporting the theory (Beardsley + Squire)

Question 13

Additional explanation: Craik and Lockhart (1972)

Answer 13

Gave Ps either shallow or deep processing an results showed that Ps remembered more words with deep processing → argues elaborate rehearsal (engaging semantics) is more important than maintenance rehearsal (MSM → repeating it and not properly engaging)

Question 14

Beardsley (1997) and Squire (1992)

Answer 14

Beardsley found the prefrontal cortex is active during STM tasks but not LTM and Squire found the hippocampus is active when the LTM is engaged → provides evidence that different Brain parts are active when different memory types are used.