multistore memory Flashcards
key features of msm
Atkinson and shiffrin 1968 proposed that the msm -
-is a psychological explanation of the structure of human memory
-stm and let are unitary stores
-information passes from store to store in a linear way
- rehearsal is needed to pass information from stm to ltm
-each store has its own characteristics in terms of encoding, capacity and duration
- explanations of forgetting are different for each store
strength of msm
P - there is research support for operate stores of short term and long term memories
E - for example baddeley found we tend to mix up words that sound similar when we are using out stm
E - further support comes from jacobs digit span study on capacity in stm, Peterson and Peterson on during of stm
L - studies show that stm and ltm are separate and independent stores as claimed by the msm
negative of msm -
P - further evidence from other real life case studies which casts doubt on the validity of the cult store model
E - shall ice and warrington (1970) studied a client they referred to as a KF who had a clinical memory disorder called amnesia
E - KF’s STM for digits was very poor when read aloud to him but his recall was much better when he read it himself
L- suggests that the msm is wrong in claiming that there is just one STM store processing different types of info (visual, auditory etc)
Negative of msm 2
P - outdated and oversimplified model of memory
E - research from amnesiac patients supports the idea that stm and ltm were separate and independent form each other
E - however, much evidence that STM and LTM are not unitary stores, e.g it is thought that the LTM consists of at least 2 types of memory
L - therefore although the MSM is an oversimplified model of memory, it was a useful starting point to stimulate research leading to the other models that explained more of the evidence
Negative of msm 3
P- often utilise the experimental method in the lab and rely on using artificial material e.g stimuli which reduces the external validity of these studies
E - researchers in these studies often ask pps to recall series of digits, letters and sometimes words, e.g in the study of stm duration by Peterson and Peterson 1959 where pps had to memories nonsense consonant trigrams
E - weakness because in real life we remember faces, names , events, procedures etc, so these studies often lack mundane realism
L- suggests that the research to support the msm does not relate to how memory is really used and therefore may not be able to make useful conclusions about it
