Memory: the multi-store model of memory Flashcards
What are theoretical models?
A representation of the way mental processes work.
Who proposed the multi-store model of memory?
Atkinson and Shiffrin (1968)
What are the components of the model?
- Environmental stimuli
- Sensory register
- Short term memory
- long term memory
How does information pass from the sensory register to the short term memory?
Attention
How does information remain in the short term memory?
Maintenance rehearsal
How does information move from the short term to the long term memory and back?
Prolonged rehearsal
Retrieval
What is meant by ‘linear model’?
Processing of the memory happens sequentially, in a series of stages.
Define coding (encoding)
Transforming incoming information into a form that can be stored in the memory.
(visually, acoustically, semantically)
Define duration
The length of time a memory is kept in a store before it is forgotten
Define capacity
The quantity of information a store can hold
Features of the sensory register
- Coding: occurs according to the sense/mode in which it is received (modality specific)
- Duration: Very short duration e.g. iconic = 250 ms
- Capacity: Unlimited
Research into capacity of STM
- Jacobs (1887)
- Digit span task
- On average, capacity of STM in ppts for letters was 7.3 and for numbers, 9.3
Supporting research into capacity of STM
- Miller (1956)
- Suggested capacity is 7+/-2
- can increase capacity through chunking
Define chunking
Grouping together items so they can be stored and processed as single concepts.
Research into STM duration
- Peterson and Peterson (1959)
- ppts presented with nonsense trigram
- Also had to count back from a 3 digit number in 3’s to prevent MR in delay
- delay varied in length
- 18-30s
Research into coding of STM/LTM
- Baddeley (1966)
- ppts presented with acoustically similar/dissimilar words and semantically similar/dissimilar words
- STM: acoustic confusion, code acoustically
- LTM: semantic confusion, code semantically
Research into LTM duration
- Bahrick et al (1975)
- 392 high school graduates aged 17-74
- Photo recognition: 15 years = 90% accurate, 48 years = 70%
- Unlimited duration
LTM capacity
- Assumed to be unlimited
Evaluations
+ PT HM -> epilepsy = hippocampus removed -> couldn’t form new LTM, STM intact
- Oversimplified LTM -> different types (Clive wearing)
- Artificial tasks
+ Baddeley research shows LTM and STM = separate stores
