Multi-store model of memory

Question 1

Who and when was the MSM created?

Answer 1

Created by Atkinson and Shiffrin in 1968.

Question 2

What are the 3 components of the MSM?

Answer 2

• sensory store
• short-term memory
• long-term memory

Question 3

What do each of the components of the MSM have according to Atkinson and Shiffrin?

Answer 3

Capacity - the size of the store.
Duration - how long information remains in the store.
Mode of representation (MOR) - mode of storage or the form in which information is stored.

Question 4

What is encoding?

Answer 4

How memories are encoded, which means how they are registered as memories.

Question 5

What is storage?

Answer 5

How memories are stored, which means how they remain as memories after they have been registered.

Question 6

What is retrieval?

Answer 6

How we retrieve memories when the output is needed.

Question 7

What is the sensory store?

Answer 7

• where information come into the brain from the senses.
• all information from the senses goes into the sensory register but only a small amount is attended to.
• from here information that has been attended passes to the short-term store. Any information that is not attended is lost.
• information from the senses is received but not perceived.

Question 8

What is the sensory stores’ capacity, duration and MOR?

Answer 8

Capacity - limited.
Duration - about 2 seconds.
MOR - same format as it is received (modality specific).

Question 9

What is the short-term store/memory (STM)?

Answer 9

• second component of the MSM.
• if information is rehearsed here it passes to the long-term store/memory.
• any information that is not rehearsed is forgotten.
• rehearsal is done in an acoustic from e.g. repeating it to yourself.

Question 10

What is the STM’s capacity, duration and MOR?

Answer 10

Capacity - between 5 and 9 items.
Duration - 30 seconds.
MOR - auditory/acoustic form (sound).

Question 11

What is the long-term store/memory (LTM)?

Answer 11

• the third component of the MSM.

Question 12

What is the LTM’s capacity, duration and MOR?

Answer 12

Capacity - infinite.
Duration - (potentially) forever.
MOR - semantic form (meaning).

Question 13

What are the strengths of the MSM?

Answer 13

• experiments such as Glazer and Cunitz (1966) support the model because the primary and recency effects are explained by it.
• case studies such as Clive Wearing support the model; they give physiological support e.g. the hippocampus may be an area for STM.

Question 14

What are the weaknesses of the MSM?

Answer 14

• the experiments that give evidence for the model use artificial tasks, which means that the results might not be valid.
• Craik and Lockhart (1972) argue it is hard to say what capacity means. they ask whether it is limited processing capacity or limited storage capacity. Number of items recalled differ on whether it is words or letters (more rigorous definition of capacity needed).
• another case study (Shallice and Warrington, 1970) showed a victim of a motorbike accident was able to add long-term memories even though his STM was damaged. This goes against the MSM.
• the study of Henry Molaison shows just how complex memory is, especially when it comes to showing where STM and LTM might be in the brain.

Question 15

What is displacement?

Answer 15

The theory of displacement as a reason for forgetting is that the rehearsal loop in the STM has a limited capacity, perhaps 9 items or fewer.

Question 16

What is the evidence for displacement as a theory of forgetting?

Answer 16

• primary and recency effects.
• the primary effect is that information learned first is well remembered, probably because it has gone to the LTM through the rehearsal loop.
• the recency effect is that information that is learned last is well remembered, probably because it is still in the rehearsal loop and so available for immediate recall.
• information from the middle is not well recalled, probably because it did not go from the rehearsal loop into the LTM, but was displaced by new material in the loop and was lost.
• this idea was tested by Waugh and Norman in 1965.

Question 17

What are the strengths of the displacement theory of forgetting?

Answer 17

• the theory fits with the MSM and the WMM, which are already supported by a great deal of evidence. The MSM and WMM both suggest there is a rehearsal loop and if this has limited capacity, this supports the theory of displacement.
• the theory is tested by experiments that are well controlled and, therefore, yield information about cause and effect. The experiments are replicable and can be tested for reliability so displacement is tested scientifically.

Question 18

What are the weaknesses of the displacement theory of forgetting?

Answer 18

• the theory is difficult to operationalise. What is taken to be displacement could actually be interference.
• it is tested using artificial tasks which means that what is being tested might not be valid because it is not a real-life task.

Question 19

What is interference?

Answer 19

This theory of forgetting suggests that an item gets in the way of another item rather than displacing it. Peterson and Peterson’s study (1959) investigated interference in the STM, but this theory also focuses on the LTM.

Question 20

What are the 2 types of interference?

Answer 20

Proactive interference - when something learned earlier interferes with current learning.
Retroactive interference - when something learned later gets in the way of something learned previously.

Question 21

What is the evidence for interference as a theory of forgetting?

Answer 21

• in 1924 Jenkins and Dallenbach carried out an experiment and the results supported the theory that interference causes forgetting.

Question 22

What are the strengths of the interference theory of forgetting?

Answer 22

• there is much evidence to support the theory. Different lists of words are used with participants and what they learn first does interfere with what they learn second. Jenkins and Dallenbach (1924) give evidence for this idea.
• the evidence comes from experiments, which are controlled and so yield cause and effect conclusions. This scientific approach to study is rated highly because firm conclusions can be drawn. It also means that studies are replicable and can be tested for reliability.

Question 23

What are the weaknesses of the interference theory of forgetting?

Answer 23

• theory doesn’t explain how forgetting from interference happens. The problem is separating the idea of interference from displacement or trace decay.
• the studies tend to use word lists and artificial tasks which don’t reflect real life so it is likely that interference doesn’t account for all forgetting so the conclusions may not be valid. Solso (1995) says that the tasks carried out to test interference theory would not occur in real life.
• the effect of interference disappears when participants are given cues. Therefore, it seems that the memory trace was present but could not be retrieved. This goes against the idea of interference as an explanation for forgetting.