MSM evaluations

Research support for different STM and LTM stores

Baddeley found that short term memory and long term memory are coded differently. The participants found it hardest to remember words from a list that sounded similar, meaning short term memory is coded for acoustically. However, when asked to recall the words after 20 minutes, the participants found it hardest to remember words that were semantically similar. This means that LTM is coded semantically. This is a strength because it supports the fact that STM and LTM must be separate stores. However, this research may not be externally valid enough to reliably prove that STM and LTM are separate stores. The procedure that Baddeley used for his research was very artificial and done in a lab setting. While this would have increased the reliability of the experiment, it lowered the external validity because people would not have to memorise lists of words in their everyday lives. This is a limitation because it means that research that supports the multi-store model of memory may not be externally valid enough to support it.

Limitation is there is evidence to suggest there is more than one stm store

A claim of the multi-store model is that there is only one STM memory store. However, a case study of patient KF found that to perhaps not be true. He found it very hard to remember words after they had been read out to him, but he found it much easier to remember words after he had read them himself. This means that he found it easier to recall visual information than auditory information in his short term memory. This suggests that there could be two different stores inside of the STM, one for visual memories and one for auditory memories, which would be different to what the multi-store model suggests. This is a limitation because it suggests that the model is incomplete and does not take into account the complexities of memory thus decreasing the models use in showing how information is processed in our memory system.

A limitation of the MSM s that prolonged rehearsal is not needed for memory transfer to the LTM

One of the key assumptions of the model is that there needs to be prolonged maintenance rehearsal of memories for them to go into the long term memory store. However, Craik and Watkins claim that prolonged rehearsal is not needed for memories to go into the LTM, instead it is the type of rehearsal that is needed. Elaborative rehearsal is much more helpful for this because this links memories to what you already know, semantically linking them. This is a limitation because it suggests that the multi-store model of memory does not fully explain how LTM is achieved which decreases its use in showing how information is processed in our memory system thus decreasing the validity of the model as the MSM may be inaccurate.

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