The Multi Store Model of Memory

Question 1

What is the coding, the capacity and the duration of STM?

Answer 1

• Coded acoustically
• Capacity of 5-9 items
• Duration of 18 seconds

Question 2

What is the coding, the capacity and the duration of the sensory register?

Answer 2

• There is a different type of coding for each of the five senses e.g Iconic for visual info and echoic for audible info
• Duration of the SRs is less then half a second
• Capacity is very high

Question 3

What is the coding, the capacity and the duration of the LTM?

Answer 3

• Coded semantically (in terms of meaning)
• Has a duration of up to a lifetime
• Has an unlimited capacity

Question 4

What researcher supported the concept of STM and LTM and what was his research?

Answer 4

• Support from studies showing STM and LTM are different, Alan Baddeley (1996) found we mix up acoustically similar words when using our STM and semantically similar words when using LTM. Clearly shows STM and LTM are separate and independent stores, as claimed by MSM

Question 5

How could it be suggested that the research for the MSM is not valid?

Answer 5

• In everyday life we form memories based on more meaningful things, e.g places and faces. However, most research supporting MSM only uses thing such as numbers and digits and random words. May not be valid to how memory works in our everyday lives.

Question 6

What contradictory research questions the credibility of the MSM?

Answer 6

• Prolonged rehearsal is not needed for transfer to LTM. According to MSM, what matters is amount of rehearsal. But, Craik and Watkins (1973) found type of rehearsal is more important than the amount. Elaborative rehearsal is needed - linking info to existing knowledge/ thinking about what it means. Info can be transferred to LTM without prolonged rehearsal. MSM is only a partial explanation

Question 7

What are the main processes of the MSM?

Answer 7

• Information is transferred from STM to LTM by rehearsal and from LTM to STM by retrieval