Multi-store Memory Model + Study

Sensory store

Store that retains information from the 5 senses

Short-term memory (STM) store

Store that has limited capacity of information

Long-term memory (LTM) store

Store that has an unlimited capacity of information

How many items of information can the STM hold?

7 ± 2 items

The control processes are…

attention, rehearsal, transfer, retrieval

Control process: Attention

Needed in order to transfer information from the sensory store to the STM

Control process: Rehearsal

Needed in order to keep the information in the STM

Control process: Transfer

Needed to transfer information from the STM to the LTM

Control process: Retrieval

Needed to retrieve information from the LTM to the STM

What is the claim of the multi-store memory model

Attempts to explain the formation of information, identifying multiple stores and their purposes (the sensory store, the STM, and the LTM), and explaining how the MSM works as the information travels between the 3 stores.

Aim of Peterson and Peterson (1959)

Determining the duration of the short-term memory

Method of Peterson and Peterson (1959)

1. Participants are given one trigram to remember

2. Participants are then asked to count backwards in 3s from a random number

3. Following a certain counting interval, participants are asked to recall the trigram

Results of Peterson and Peterson (1959)

After about 6 seconds, accuracy rate dropped to 50%, dropping to almost 0% after 18 seconds

Conclusion of Peterson and Peterson (1959)

The study supports the claim that the STMS has a duration of only about 20 seconds before information is lost.

Link

The study specifically displays how the short-term store in the brain is able to accurately retain information for a while, but eventually loses it through lack of rehearsal and/or further information being assimilated in its place (in this case the counting interval). Information is stored in the short-term store via attention to sensory input and can be transferred into the long-term store through rehearsal, which did not take place here.