Multi Store Model - Atkinson And Shiffrin (1968)

Question 1

What is the intro to a MSM essay? What does the MSM describe, what kind of model is it, what does it state about memory?

Answer 1

Atkinson an Shiffrins multi store modes describes how information flows through memory. It is a structural model stating that sensory, STM and LTM and separate unitary stores, and that information flows through the system in a linear way.

Question 2

Step 1: Where does stimulus from the environment e.g. the sound of someone’s name pass into?

Answer 2

The sensory register

Question 3

Step 1 continued: What does the sensory register have stores for and what is the coding for all these stores?

Answer 3

Stores for one of the each 5 senses, coding in each store is modality specific.

Question 4

Step 1 continued: What are the two main stores of the sensory register?

Answer 4

Echoic (sound / auditory information - coded acoustically)
Iconic (visual information - coded visually)

Question 5

Step 1 continued: What is the duration and capacity of the sensory register?

Answer 5

Duration - less than 0.5 seconds
Capacity - high

Question 6

Step 2: Information passes from the sensory register to the STM only if…

Answer 6

Attention is paid to it, if not, information decays

Question 7

Step 2 continued: STM is a limited capacity store of…

Answer 7

5 - 9 items (Millers magic number)

Question 8

Step 2 continued: information in the STM is coded… and the Duran of information is…. Unless…

Answer 8

Acoustically
18 -30 seconds
Attention is paid

Question 9

Step 3: What must occur to increase the length of time the information is held in the STM?

Answer 9

Maintenance rehearsal

Question 10

Step 3 continued: If information is rehearsed enough it will pass to the…

Answer 10

LTM

Question 11

Step 4: LTM is a potentially permanent store for information that has been rehearsed for a…

Answer 11

Prolonged time

Question 12

Step 4 continued: What is the capacity, duration and coding of the LTM?

Answer 12

Potentially unlimited
A lifetime
Semantically

Question 13

Step 5: To recall information, it must be transferred from where to where? What is this process called?

Answer 13

From LTM to STM. Retrieval

Question 14

What research supports the MSM idea that the STM and LTM are separate unitary stores? What did they find?

Answer 14

Baddely. They found that participants mixed up words that sound similar when using STM, but mixed up words that have similar meanings in LTM. Suggesting that coding in the STM in acoustic and semantic in the LTM. Supporting MSM as it supports idea that STM and LTM are separate unitary stores.

Question 15

Why does Clive wearing support the MSM?

Answer 15

Wearing suffers from amnesia, cannot transfer information from his STM to LTM. Evident as his wife leaves a room and re enters seconds before, he greets her as if its the fist time hes seen her in years. Supports the MSM as it shows STM and LTM are separate stores and information must flow in a linear way from STM first to LTM.

Question 16

Why is Clive Wearing case study flawed to support MSM?

Answer 16

Low population validity. Case study of 1 person, Clive Wearing, who has an unusual illness involving damage to the brain. Difficult to generalise findings to wider population whose memory may operate differently. Limiting support research provides for MSM.

Question 17

Why is the MSM too simplistic in stating STM and LTM are unitary stores? What is the example for this PEEL?

Answer 17

Shalice and Warrington research into the STM conduced on patient KF, who suffered from amnesia. KF’s recall for digits was poor when read aloud, but recall was better when digits were seen visually. Suggesting there must be different stores within the STM, one processing visual one processing auditory information. Casts doubt on assumption that STM is unitary.

Question 18

Why has the MSM theory of rehearsal been questioned? What does it state? Who stated otherwise?

Answer 18

Theory states that information is rehearsed, more likely to transfer from STM to LTM. However, Craik and Watkin show rehearsal only keeps information in the STM and for information to transfer to LTM, elaborative rehearsal must take place. Meaning information is given meaning. Some information is remembered without constant rehearsal e.g. proposal or emotionally important event. Therefore MSM is flawed when explaining how information is transferred to the LTM.