The Multi Store Model Of Memory

Question 1

Who created the MSM of memory?

What does the model show?

What 3 stores does it consist of?

Answer 1

Atkinson and Shiffrin

How information flows through a memory system

Sensory register, STM, LTM

Question 2

What is the coding and capacity of the sensory register?

Answer 2

Coding : modality-specific ( it depends on the store. For iconic memory it is visual, for the echoic memory it’s acoustically)

Capacity: very high

Question 3

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

Answer 3

Coding: mainly acoustically
Capacity: 5-9 items
Duration: 18-30 seconds

Question 4

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

Answer 4

Coding: mostly semantically
Capacity: practically unlimited
Duration: up to a lifetime

Question 5

How is information transferred from the STM into the LTM?

Answer 5

Prolonged rehearsal

Question 6

How is information maintained in the STM?

Answer 6

Maintenance rehearsal

Question 7

What is the key process in the MSM?

Answer 7

Attention

Question 8

Evaluate the multi store model of memory

Answer 8

Strengths:
There are studies to support that STM and LTM are different. Eg. Baddeley, Jacobs, Peterson + Peterson

Weaknesses:
Model may lack validity as the studies to support it use artificial stimuli

Only accounts for one type of STM store however there is evidence of more than one- oversimplified?

Model suggests that prolonged rehearsal is needed to transfer information to the LTM, however Craik and Watkins found that elaboration rehearsal is more important

Question 9

How does HM support the MSM?

Answer 9

He suffered brain damage after a surgery. His LTM was impaired (would read newspaper multiple times) but his STM was intact