The multi-store model of memory Flashcards
What is the sensory store?
This is the information collected by the senses. It is retained briefly in the sensory registers. Its duration of accurate recall is less than half a second. Its capacity of sensory memory is very large. The method of encoding depends on the sense in use.
What is the multi-store model?
The multi-store model (MSM) is a model for how memory works. It suggests different stores of memory which use encoding to move memories into the various stores.
Describe the stores of the MSM.
Sensory Memory- Is the conglomerate of many stores for each individual sensory system. It is constantly receiving information but attention is not paid to most of it. If attention is paid then the memory encodes into the STM.
Short Term Memory- The short term memory holds information briefly if it is not rehearsed, otherwise it will decay. The information can also be displaced by new information as the STM has a limited capacity. If the information is effectively rehearsed it goes into the LTM.
Long Term Memory - The long term memory holds information for longer periods of time. Its duration and capacity are potentially unlimited. In the original MSM Atkinson and Shiffrin said encoding to the LTM occurs after enough maintenance rehearsal (largely verbal) has taken place.
What was Sperling’s study and how did it support the MSM?
Sperling (1960) showed participants a grid of 12 digits and letters for 50 milliseconds. They were asked to write down all the items present. This was done again, but the participants would hear a tone after the exposure, connoting which row to recall.
There was a 42% accuracy with the first test and a 75% accuracy with the second. Showing that information in the Sensory store decays rapidly, as suggested in MSM, and that it is easier for us to recall fewer items from the sensory store.
What was Glanzer and Cunitz’s study?
Glanzer and Cunitz (1966) gave participants a list of 20 words and have them freely recall them. They found a tendency for participants to recall the first (Primacy) and the last words (Recenecy), they called this the Primacy and Recency effect or serial position effect.
This supports MSM as it shows that the recent words remain in the STM while the earlier words had time to be rehearsed into the LTM.
How have Brain scans supported the MSM?
Beardsley (1997) found that the pre-frontal cortex is used in tasks requiring STM.
Squire et al (1992) found that the hippocampus is used when LTM is engaged.
What Case studies have supported MSM?
Scoville and Milner (1957) studied HM, a man who had both his hippocampi removed. This stopped him forming new long term memories, but he held onto his old ones. This showed that the hippocampuses were involved in LTM, but acted as a ‘gateway’ rather than a store.
