The multi-store model of memory

Question 1

Who proposed the multi-store model of memory?

Answer 1

Atkinson and Shiffrin (1968)

Question 2

What are the 3 components of the MSM?

Answer 2

• Sensory register
• Short term memory store
• Long term memory store

Question 3

Describe the encoding, duration and capacity of the sensory register

Answer 3

Encoding: modality specific
Duration: 1/2 of a second
Capacity: unlimited

Question 4

How is information lost from the sensory register?

Answer 4

If no attention is paid to it

Question 5

Describe the encoding, duration and capacity of the short term memory store

Answer 5

Encoding: acoustic
Duration: 18 - 30 seconds
Capacity: up to 9 items (7 ± 2)

Question 6

What does it mean if something is encoded acoustically?

Answer 6

Information is stored in the form of sounds or words

Question 7

How does information stay in the short term memory store?

Answer 7

By repetition of the information (maintenance rehearsal)

Question 8

How is information lost from the short term memory store?

Answer 8

Through displacement where info is swapped or replaced due to interference of memory or limited capacity

Question 9

Describe the encoding, duration and capacity of the long term memory store

Answer 9

Encoding: semantically
Duration: infinite
Capacity: potentially unlimited

Question 10

What does it mean if something is encoded semantically?

Answer 10

Information is stored in the form of its meaning

Question 11

How is information lost from the long term memory store?

Answer 11

Through trace decay where memory gradually deteriorates over time

Question 12

What is the recency effect?

Answer 12

Having better recall for items at the end of a list because they haven’t been displaced from STM yet as they have been there less time

Question 13

What is the primacy effect?

Answer 13

Having better recall for items at the start of a list because they have been transferred into LTM so available for recall

Question 14

What is a strength of the multi-store model of memory?

Supporting evidence Baddeley - PEE

Answer 14

P - Supporting evidence from research by Baddeley (1966a)
E - Baddeley found that we tend to mix up words that sound similar when using our STM but we mix up words that have similar meanings when we use our LTM. The encoding in STM is acoustic whereas the encoding in LTM is semantic
E - Therefore, this shows that STM and LTM are separate, independent stores but also that STM and LTM are different in terms of encoding which supports the idea of the multi-store model of memory

Question 15

What is a strength of the multi-store model of memory?

Application - PEE

Answer 15

P - Has applications as it can be used to improve memory
E - Research has shown that the limited capacity of short-term memory can be increased through a process called ‘chunking’. For example, remembering a 10-digit phone number as ten individual chunks would exceed the limits of short-term memory, but remembering it as three chunks would be within the limit
E - Therefore, this demonstrates how knowledge of the memory system as represented in the MSM can be applied to practical ways of improving memory

Question 16

What is a weakness of the multi-store model of memory?

Opposing evidence KF - PEE

Answer 16

P - Opposing evidence from the case study of KF
E - KF’s short-term memory for digits was poor when they were read out loud to him but his recall was much better when he was able to read the digits himself
E - Therefore, this shows that the multi-store model is not a full explanation of memory as there must be separate stores for visual and auditory information