The Multi-Store Model(M)

Question 1

What is the Multi-Store Model?

Answer 1

A representation of how memory works in terms of three stores called sensory register, short term memory and long term memory

Question 2

What is the sensory register?

Answer 2

The memory stores for each of our five senses such as vision (iconic sense) and hearing (echoic sense)
Coding in the iconic sensory register is visual and in the echoic sensory register is acoustic

Question 3

How big is the sensory registers capacity?

Answer 3

Huge as there are Millions of receptors but the information lasts less than half a second

Question 4

Who conducted the experiment about multi-store memory?

Answer 4

Atkinson and Shiffrin (1968, 1971)

Question 5

What does Atkinsons and Shiffrins experiment explain?

Answer 5

How the memory flows through the memory system passing through 3 stores linked by processing

Question 6

What happens in the sensory register?

Answer 6

Stimulus from the environment (e.g. A name) will pass into the sensory revisiter along with sights, sounds, smells ect
This part of the memory is in several stores for the five senses

Question 7

What are the main stores in the sensory memory?

Answer 7

Iconic (visual- coded visually)

Echoic (sound/auditory- coded acoustically)

Question 8

What is the duration and capacity in the sensory register?

Answer 8

Duration = less than half a second

High capacity

Question 9

What process is key in the sensory memory?

Answer 9

Attention - to pass information into other stores

Question 10

What is the capacity like in the STM?

Answer 10

Very limited

Stores a limited number of pieces of information before it begins it forget

Question 11

How is the short term memory coded?

Answer 11

Acoustically

Question 12

What is the duration of the STM?

Answer 12

Roughly 30 seconds- maintenance rehearsal allows the information to be passed onto the LTM

Question 13

What is the duration of LTM?

Answer 13

Permanent memory store for rehearsed information over a long period of time

Question 14

What is the capacity of LTM?

Answer 14

Unlimited

Question 15

What expriment supported that LTM was unlimited?

Answer 15

Bahrick et al (1975) as participants could recognise the names and faces of their school classmates 50 years later

Question 16

How is it thought that LTM is coded?

Answer 16

Semantically (in terms of meaning)

Question 17

What happens when information is retrieved from the LTM?

Answer 17

It’s passed to the STM

Question 18

What was Tulving’s opinion of the MSM?

Answer 18

He thought that the MSM view of the LTM was too simplistic and inflexible

Question 19

What was Tulvings idea of long term memory?

Answer 19

He thought there was three LTM stores, each containing different information

Question 20

What are the names of the three LTM stores?

Answer 20

Episodic memory
Semantic memory
Procedural memory

Question 21

What is episodic memory?

Answer 21

The ability to recall events from our lives which is linked to a diary

Question 22

What are the features of episodic memory?

Answer 22

Visual complex memory- time stamped
Includes many elements, places, people, objects and behaviours all interwoven into one memory
Make a conscious effort to recall them

Question 23

What is semantic memory?

Answer 23

Contains knowledge of the world, including facts at the broadest level

Question 24

What are the features of semantic memory?

Answer 24

Often linked to dictionary/encyclopaedia
Contains your knowledge of a huge number of concepts
Not time stamped
It is less personal and broader, facts everyone shares

Question 25

What is procedural memory?

Answer 25

The memory for actions, skills or basically how we do things

Question 26

What are the feature of procedural memory?

Answer 26

No conscious awareness required or effort (driving a car)

The skills we find difficult to explain to others

Question 27

What is the clinical evidence (evaluation)?

Answer 27

Clive Wearing’s and HM’s episodic memory was impaired because of amnesia
Difficulty recalling events that have happened to them in the past
SM unaffected (don’t recall stroking dog but doesn’t need explanation of what one is)
PM intact (knows how to tie shoes, speak and play piano ect)

Question 28

What is the neurological evidence (evaluation)?

Answer 28

Tugging et al (1994)- tasks and PET scanners
Found EM and SM recalled fro
Prefrontal correct which is divided into two hemispheres
Left prefrontal cortex= recalls semantic info
Right prefrontal cortex= episodic memory

Question 29

What is the real life application (evaluation)?

Answer 29

Belleville et al (2006) - EM’s could be improved in older people who had mild cognitive impairment
Trained RPS performed better on EM test after training compared to control group
EM most effected by mild cognitive impairment meaning specific treatments can be developed

Question 30

What is the extra information (evaluation)?

Answer 30

Clive Weering and HM provide info helping us understand memory but lack control of a variety of variables in clinical studies

Cone and Spine (1980)- disagree with Tulving
Agree with PM but argue that SM and EM are together (declarative memory- memories that are consciously recalled)

Question 31

What are two studies that support the model?

Answer 31

The primary effect- participants able to recall first few items of a list better than in the middle (earlier items would have been rehearsed better- LTM)
Milner case study on patient HM (1957)- suffered from epilepsy , seizures based on hippocampus - surgically removed Brain around this area, reduced epilepsy, could still form short term memories but unable to form new long term memories- supports separate systems for different memories