Multi-Store Model of Memory (MSM)

Question 1

MSM

Answer 1

• Representation of how memory works in terms of three stores called sensory register, STM and LTM.
• Also describes how information is transferred from one store to another, how it is remembered and how it is forgotten.

Question 2

Sensory register

Answer 2

Memory store for each of our five senses.

Question 3

Iconic store

Answer 3

• For vision
• Coding is visual

Question 4

Echoic store

Answer 4

• For hearing
• Coding is acoustic

Question 5

Maintenance rehearsal

Answer 5

Occurs when we repeat (rehearse) material to ourselves repeatedly.
We can keep information in our STMs as long as we rehearse it. If rehearsed long enough, it’ll pass into our LTM.

Question 6

Retrieval

Answer 6

When we need to recall information from our LTM to our STM.

Question 7

Shallice and Warrington (1970) - Patient KF study

Answer 7

• Examined patient KF who had suffered brain damage from a motorcycle accident, severely impairing his STM, but leaving his LTM relatively intact.
• Found KF had reduced digit span (1-2 digits) and his LTM was relatively intact, being better at visual tasks.
• KF’s case challenged the MSM, which proposed the STM is a necessary gateway to LTM.
• His findings supported the working memory model (WMM) by Baddeley and HItch (1974), suggesting the STM consisted of separate components.