The Multi-Store Model Flashcards
Who created the Multi Store Model
Atkinson and Shiffrin
What are the three storage units in the mult-store model
Short Term Memory, Long Term Memory and Sensory Memory
What are storage units called in the multi-store model
Unitary Storage Units
What is the Sensory Memory in the Multi-Store Model
Where information from each sense (sight, hearing etc) are stored
What are the characteristics of semantic memory in the Multi-Store Model
Capacity is large, as it’s constantly recieving information
Duration is milliseconds
When does information get passed from sensory memory into short term memory
When the information recieves attention
What is the STM in the Multi-Store Model
Short Term Memory is used for immediate tasks and while information is in the STM it is fragile, as it will decay rapidly if not repeated and risks displacement
What are some characteristics of the STM in the Multi Store Model
STM is limited to 7+-2 pieces of information, has a duration of 18-20 seconds and is acoustically encoded (techincally part of seperate essay but feels relevant)
What is the process of regular rehersal to pass memories into LTM called
Maintainance Rehersal
What is Maintainance Rehersal
Where repeated information remains in STM and creates a long term memory. Atkinson and Shiffrin proposed this direct relationship between STM and LTM where more repeated is better remembered
What is the LTM in the multi store model
Long Term Memory is where information is stored and can be retained
What are some features of the LTM in the Multi Store Model
Unlimited Capacity, a lifetime duration and semantically encoded (different essay but feels relevant)
What is the process of getting information from the LTM to the STM called in the multi store model
Retrieval
What are the different ways of forgetting information based on the store in the multi-store model
STM - Forgets through displacememt and trace decay
LTM - Forgets through interference and retrieval failiure
What is trace decay
Where unused neural pathways gradually fade away, leading to forgettign
What lab studies have supported a seperate LTM and STM
Squire found that the hippocampus is activated when the LTM is in use, and Beardsley found that the prefrontal cortex is active during STM tasks but not LTM tasks, supports the existance of seperate types of memory found in Multi-Store Model
What case studies support the existance of seperate memory units
The case of HM, who had his hippocampus removed in order to allow him to deal with severe epilepsy. His personality and intelligence remained intact, but he was unable to create new Long Term Memories, although he could remember events before his surgery. The inability to transfer information from his STM to his LTM supports the MSM’s notion of seperate stores (add counterargument about LTM retrieval)
Why might HM’s case study not support the Multi-Store Models view of LTM
His ability to retrieve memories from before the surgery despite LTM being ‘gone’ suggests that MSM may not explain LTM entirely
Who had his hippocampus removed and now acts as a case study unable to make long term memories
HM
Who found the hippocampus is activated when the LTM is in use
Squire
Who found that the prefrontal cortex is activated for STM tasks
Beardsley
Why might the Multi-Store Model be too simplistic to be a functional model for memory
For example the maintainance rehersal structure explains the long term storage of semantic memory but not other kinds of memory, such as episodic memory. The Working Memory Model shows how memory is split into quantitatively different stores not just based on capactiy and duration, but also the types of information stored there. The failiure of MSM to deal with these more complex elements of memory suggest an alternative model is needed
What research has questioned the seperation of LTM and STM in the MSM.
Logie claimed that the STM relies on the LTM, so it cannot simply come first. This was demonstrated by Ruchkin et al by getting a group of participants to recall a set of words and pseudo-words, finding significantly more brain activity when remembering real words over pseudo ones, suggesting that the LTM was engaged in the task as well as the STM, and so the to types of storage may not be as seperate as the MSM suggests
Who claimed that the STM relies on the LTM so cannot simply come first
Logie
Who found that there was significantly more brain activity when remembering real words over pseudo ones
Ruchkin
