Memory- The multi store model of memory Flashcards
Why did Atkinson and Shiffrin call it the multi-store model of memory?
Because it consists of 3 memory stores, linked to each other by the process that enables transfer of information from one store to the next
What is the sensory register?
- The place where information is held at each of the senses (eyes, ears, nose, fingers, tongue etc.)
- the capacity of these registers are very high
Why does the sensory register have a brief duration?
Because although they are constantly receiving information most of this remains little attention
What happens if attention is focused on on of the sensory stores, then where is the data transferred to?
Short term memory
-attention is the first step towards remembering something
STM is in a ‘fragile’ state, what will happen if it is not rehearsed?
it will decay as STM has a limited duration
Apart from decay, how will information also disappear from the STM?
If new information enters the STM, pushing out (or displacing) the original information
-this happens because STM has a limited capacity
What is maintenance rehearsal?
-what did Atkinson and Shiffrin propose?
Repetition, the more the information is rehearsed, the better remembered it is.
-a direct relationship between rehearsal in STM and the strength of the LTM
What is retrieval?
The process of getting information from the LTM which involves the information passing back through STM. It is then available for use
Evaluation of the muti-store model of memory: However the case study of KF (Shallace and Warrington) suggests that there must be one more type of STM
- Shallace and Warrington studied KF in 1970
- KF had amnesia after a motor biking accident which caused him to suffer a brain trauma.
- His STM was very poor when he had information read out to him, however when he was able to read information his recall significantly improved
- This suggests that there is more than one STM store, one for verbal information and one for visual information
Evaluation of the multi-store model of memory: Additionally the case of Clive Wearing demonstrates that there is more than one type of LTM
-Clive Wearing was a world class musician who could play piano brilliantly
-He caught a virus damage to areas of his brain that left him with with amnesia, it damaged his LTM and stopped him being able to move STM’s into LTM’s
-He still has procedural memory (play the piano, tie shoes) but he cannot remember his children’s names (semantic memory) or his wedding day (episodic)
CONCLUSION:
-Goes against MSM of memory as it suggests that there is more than one LTM store
-simple maintenance rehearsal is not the only way to transfer information into the LTM
-Fails to take into account the other strategies people use to remember things
Through Clive Wearing and KF’s studies we can see there are other strategies people use to remember things, state some.
- people acquire new knowledge continually without using conscious rehearsal
- in flashbulb memory, the information goes straight into our LTM
- similarly some things we repeat a lot and fail to make it into the LTM
Evaluation of the multi-store model of memory: The multi store model is too simplistic
-the MSM suggests that both STM and LTM are single ‘unitary’ stores, however
