Multi-Store Model Flashcards
Sensory Register
The information that we are constantly given from the environment from our senses.
Sensory Register Duration
Less than half a second.
Sensory Register Coding
Visual or acoustic - modality specific.
Sensory Register Capacity
Very high capacity.
Iconic Memory
Visual information that is coded visually.
Echoic Memory
Sound that is coded acoustically.
Modality Specific
When coding is different, dependent on the type of information.
How is information transferred from the Sensory Register to the STM?
Attention.
Short-Term Memory
Holds the information that we are consciously thinking about.
STM Duration
18-30 seconds.
STM Coding
Acoustic.
STM Capacity
7 +/- 2 items.
How is information kept in the STM?
Maintenance Rehearsal.
Maintenance Rehearsal
When information is repeated in the same form over and over to keep it in the STM.
How is information transferred to the LTM?
Elaborative Rehearsal.
Elaborative Rehearsal
Attaching meaning to the information, or linking it to existing knowledge to transfer it to the LTM.
Long-Term Memory
Holds all information, knowledge and skills without which we could not function.
LTM Duration
Lifelong.
LTM Coding
Semantic.
LTM Capacity
Unlimited.
How does information move from the LTM back to the STM?
Retrieval, we must retrieve information from the LTM to use it and talk about it.
Who developed the theory of the Multi-Store Model?
Atkinson and Shiffrin (1968).
Jacobs (1890) - Aim
To investigate the capacity of the STM.
Jacobs (1890) - Procedure
Used the digit-span technique, where a participant has to recall a sequence of letters or numbers which increase by one item in each trial. Participants had finished their trials when they could only recall 50% of items.
Jacobs (1890) - Findings
Participants recalled a mean of 7.3 letters, and 9.3 numbers.
Jacobs (1890) - Conclusion
The capacity of the STM is 7+/-2 items.
Jacobs (1890) - Strengths
- Lab experiment, high levels of control.
- Standardized procedures, easily replicated and therefore, reliable.
- The sample was varied in age, can be generalized, good population validity.
- Ethical.
Jacobs (1890) - Limitations
- Clear that memory was being measured, may result in demand characteristics.
- Lacks mundane realism and ecological validity.
- Individual differences such as IQ or memory impairments may have an effect, extraneous variables.
- Age variety may be a factor, as memory improves in childhood.
Conrad (1964) - Aim
To determine how STM is encoded.
Conrad (1964) - Procedure
Participants were given sequences of six consonants and then asked to recall them.
Conrad (1964) - Findings
Letters with similar sounds (P, D, T) were more difficult to recall than different-sounding letters (D, O).
Conrad (1964) - Conclusion
STM is coded acoustically.
Conrad (1964) - Strengths
- Lab experiment, high levels of control.
- Easily replicated and reliable.
- Ethical
- Study receives support from Baddeley’s similar study from 1966.
Conrad (1964) - Limitations
- Lacks mundane realism and ecological validity.
- Clear that memory was being measured, may result in demand characteristics.
- Individual differences such as IQ or memory impairments may have an effect, extraneous variables.
- Does not acknowledge other coding for STM, such as visual.
Peterson and Peterson (1959) - Aim
To investigate the duration of the STM.
Peterson and Peterson (1959) - Procedure
24 psychology students were asked to recall random three-letter trigrams. After being given their trigrams, they were asked to recall them at different intervals from 3-18 seconds. To prevent rehearsal, students had to count backwards in threes of fours during these intervals.
Peterson and Peterson (1959) - Findings
The longer the interval, the less accurate the recall. After 3 seconds, recall was 80% accurate, while accuracy was only 10% when the interval was 18 seconds.
Peterson and Peterson (1959) - Conclusion
The STM has a limited duration of about 18 seconds.
Peterson and Peterson (1959) - Strengths
- Standardized, such as fixed timings to count backwards, easily replicated and reliable.
- Lab experiment, high levels of control.
- Good application, shows how interference (verbal distractions) can affect our retainment of information. Useful information when studying, for example.
Peterson and Peterson (1959) - Limitations
- Lacks mundane realism and ecological validity.
- Only focuses on one type of stimuli for the STM, results for auditory information, pictures, or numbers may differ.
- Small sample size, and all were psychology students, low population validity and generalizability.
Bahrick (1975) - Aim
To investigate the duration of the LTM.
Bahrick (1975) - Procedure
Ex-students of a US high school participated in one of three tasks.
Condition 1: free recall task, they were asked to name as many of their ex-classmates as they could.
Condition 2: visual recognition task, they were given photos of their ex-classmates mixed with random people, asked to identify the ones they recognized.
Condition 3: verbal recognition task, told the name of an ex-classmate and asked to find their photo.
Bahrick (1975) - Findings
After 15 years: free recall was 60% accurate, visual and verbal was 90% accurate.
After 48 years: free recall dropped to 30% accuracy, visual was 70%, and verbal was 80%.
Bahrick (1975) - Conclusion
Suggests that LTM can be lifelong, but recall is typically better with visual or verbal cues.
Bahrick (1975) - Strengths
- Used real life memories, high ecological validity.
- Results are applicable to real life.
- Meaningful stimuli, resulting in higher external validity.
Bahrick (1975) - Limitations
- Limited control of extraneous variables, participants could have rehearsed/been in contact with some of these people.
- Lacks population validity, sample were all American university undergraduates, therefore, lacks generalizability.
- Unclear whether results show LTM duration, or if LTM just gets worse with age.
Strengths of the MSM
- Supporting evidence from Jacobs, Conrad, Peterson and Peterson, and Bahrick.
- Usefulness - supporting studies provide useful application on how memory works and how it may be improved for recall.
- Testability - all supporting studies use controlled lab experiments.
Limitations of the MSM
- Contradictory evidence has shown that there are multiple stores of the STM and the LTM.
- Opposing theory of the Working Memory Model, saying that the STM is more than one store.
- Usefulness, MSM is a very simplistic explanation of memory.
- Testability, all research requires lab experiments with artificial environments and tasks, lacking ecological validity and mundane realism.
