Multi-Store Model

Question 1

Who proposed the MSM?

Answer 1

Atkinson and Shiffrin (1968)

Question 2

It is a linear model. What does this mean?

Answer 2

Information is processed through the system in a set order:

• encoding
• storage
• retrieving

Question 3

What is are the 3 main components, in order?

Answer 3

• Sensory memory
• Short term memory
• Long term memory

Question 4

Explain the sensory memory.

Answer 4

• unlimited capacity
• 2 second duration
• modality specific mode of representation

Question 5

What does modality specific mean?

Answer 5

Whichever sense is registered will match the way it is consequently held, e.g. sound is encoded acoustically

Question 6

How is info lost between SM and STM?

Answer 6

It decays if unrehearsed, or if not paid attention to in the first place

Question 7

How does info move from SM to STM?

Answer 7

If it is paid attention to

Question 8

Explain STM.

Answer 8

• 5 to 9 chunks (duration)
• 18/30 secs (duration)
• acoustic mode of representation

Question 9

How does info stay in the STM?

Answer 9

Through the rehearsal loop

Question 10

How is info lost in the STM?

Answer 10

It decays if unrehearsed, or is displaced when capacity is exceeded

Question 11

Explain “chunking”.

Answer 11

• theory by: Miller
• information can be ‘chunked’ to take up less capacity, so more things can be remembered, e.g. splitting an 11 digit phone number up into 3 sections using hyphens

Question 12

Explain information transferrance between the STM and LTM.

Answer 12

• encoded from STM into LTM

- retrieved from the LTM into STM

Question 13

Explain LTM.

Answer 13

• unlimited capacity
• infinite duration
• semantic mode of representation (visual and auditory)

Question 14

How is info lost in the LTM?

Answer 14

• decay: if not retrieved often enough to be rehearsed

- failure in encoding/retrieval

Question 15

AO3: Strengths

Answer 15

P: Supporting evidence
E: HM case study: hippocampus removed to cure epilepsy
E: Lost ability to rehearse information, and stopped recalling anything from LTM
L: Shows rehearsal is needed for retrieval, supporting MSM

P: Application
E: Can help people suffering from mental disorders, e.g. dementia
E: Colour coding and labeling, forces elaborate rehearsal that they might not otherwise do
L: Rehearsal will lead to better LTM retrieval, helping the patients recover normal function

Question 16

AO3: Weaknesses

Answer 16

P: Conflicting evidence
E: Shallice & Warringtons KF report
E: KF lost STM in accident, but still made LTM’s
L: Conflicts with the idea of memory being linear, refutes MSM

P: Alternate theories
E: WMM
E: More detailed and explains how loss of some STM can occur, instead of total loss, also splits into different sections e.g. phonological loop and visuo-cache
L: Better and more detailed explanation of memory