The multi-store model of memory

Question 1

What is human memory system made up of ?

Answer 1

• sensory memory
• Short - term memory
• Long - term memory

Any stimulus you come across can been in one or more of these stores in this sequence

Each store retains diff amount of info in diff way for diff length of time

Question 2

Sensory store

Answer 2

Stimuli from environment around us such as sights, smells and sounds whether or not a person is paying attention, not paying attention = info decays

Duration 2 seconds
Capacity = A lot of info but limited by duration

Question 3

Short term memory

Answer 3

Information that is paid attention to moves from sensory to long term memory store

Limited capacity = 7 +- 2 ( Millers magic number 7 after cognitive psychologist who proposed the capacity of short term memory, more info enter than the limit = displacement

Duration = 15 - 30 seconds

Information must then be repeated - maintenance rehersal to enter information to long term memory store

The encoding in short-term memory store is mainly auditory. Shiffrin also suggests as well as maintenance rehearsal, elaborate rehearsal is also important to be able to pass info for STM to LTM,

Question 4

What is elaborate rehearsal ??

Answer 4

thinking about meaning of word and info rather than repeating it over and over again

Question 5

What has research shown about capacity of STM

Answer 5

increase by chucking info

Question 6

Long term memory

Answer 6

Duration = unlimited
Capacity = unlimited

encoding in long term memory is mainly semantic

Question 7

Criticisms

Answer 7

1) the multi-store model is too simplistic, suggests short term memory is a single store but other researchers suggest its more complicated and deals with multiple sensory information at one time but using separate sections

2) Neuropsychology also suggests long term memory is made up of more than one store, evidence suggests different types of memory is stored in different parts of brain which contradicts what multi store model says, for example evidence that hippocampus is responsible for autobiographical memory , cerebellum responsible for procedural memory

3) Model places too much importance on the role of rehearsal than meaning, suggests for info to be passed ti long term memory store it must be rehearsed, however not all info has to be such as sensory info like smell

4) Other psychologists suggest semantic memory is more important in transferring it to long term memory than repeating it.

Think about meaning -> deeper embedded into long term memory -> Shiffrin realised that and added elaborate rehearsal