The Multi-Store Model of Memory

Question 1

what is the multi-store model of memory?

Answer 1

-the multi-store model of memory is the most well-known and influential model of memory, proposed by Atkinson and Shiffrin in 1968
-they saw memory as a flow of information through a system of interacting memory stores
-each store has a different purpose, and each varies in terms of capacity and duration

Question 2

multi-store model of memory:

Answer 2

aprendete el diagram :)

Question 3

MSM: sensory, STM and LTM memory

Answer 3

sensory register
-duration: 1/2 to 1/2 a second
-capcity: alll sensory experience (v.larger capacity)
-encoding: sense specific (e.g. different stores for each sense)
short-term memory:
-duration: 0-18 seconds
-capacity: 7+/-2 items
-encoding: mainly acoustic
long-term memory:
-duration: unlimited
-capacity: unlimited
-encoding: mainly semantic (but can be visual and acoustic)

Question 4

evidence supporting a distinction between STM and LTM: KF

Answer 4

Shallice and Warrington (1970), The Case of KF:
- KF, a 28 year old man who sustained brain injuries after a motorcycle accident
-he had an impaired STM, working alongside a fully functioning LTM
-intact LTM -> he was able to learn new information and recall stored information
-reduced capacity STM -> he was only able to store a couple of bits or chunks of information rather than the normal 5-9 chunks

Question 5

evidence supporting a distinction between STM and LTM: HM

Answer 5

Milner (1966), The Case of HM:
-HM, a young man who suffered from epilepsy
-he underwent brain surgery to alleviate his epilepsy, which involved removing parts of his temporal lobes, including the hippocampus
-this operation left him with severe memory problems -> he could only recall events in his early life and was unable to recall events for about 10 years before the surgery. He could also not learn or retain new information
-however, he repeatedly read the same magazine without realising he had read it before and he was unable to recognise the psychologists who has spent long periods of time with him
-this suggests HM had a normal STM, but his LTM was detective and that it was no longer possible for him to lay down new memories in it, or if he could, he was unable to retrieve them

Question 6

evidence supporting a distinction between STM and LTM: Drechman and Sahakian

Answer 6

1979
-administered a group of participants with a drug that blocks the action of acetylcholine in the brain, then gave them various memory tasks that tested either STM or LTM
-performance was compared with a control group
-found the experimental group performed at normal levels on the STM, but significantly more poorly on the LTM task
-suggesting STM and LTM work as a separate stored, involving different neurotransmitters

Question 7

limitations of the MSM: oversimplified

Answer 7

-human memory is extremely complex and it is highly unlikely that such a simple model could reflect this
-for example, the model doesn’t consider the different types of things we have to remember
-while it greatly emphasises the amount of information we can handle, it disregards the nature of the information
-everyday experience tells us that some things are easier to remember than others and this can simply be because we find it more interesting, relevant, funnier, etc.

Question 8

limitations of the MSM: the role of rehearsal

Answer 8

-there is considerable evidence that simple repetition is one of the least effective ways of passing on information
-there is also a strong evidence that long term memories can be formed without any apparent rehearsal
-Brown and Kulik (1977): they have described this type of remembering “flashbulb memory” which is where the insignificant details surrounding highly emotional and shocking events are imprinted directly into LTM without any rehearsal

Question 9

limitations of the MSM: laboratory studies

Answer 9

-much of the supporting evidence for this model comes from laboratory studies
-given how artificial these studies are, findings may not reflect how memory works in everyday life
-it is possible to interpret the results of such studies in different ways
-it is possible that different experimental techniques can yield different results

Question 10

Independent groups design: explanation + ads and disads

Answer 10

-> is an experimental design whereby different participant are used for each experimental condition, the researcher exposes seperate sets of randomly allocated participants different
experimental
-typically, one of the two groups acts as a control group, this is because it doesn’t really experiment or receive the treatment whereas the other group is being tested in contrast to the first group
Advantages:
-simple and straightforward design
-less time consuming
-wide range of participants = more accurate findings
Disadvantages:
-differences in participants age, gender can alter results
-harder to control variables = less accurate findings
-altered data if a groups foes worse than expected