The multi store model of memory

The multi-store model (MSM)

A representation of how memory works in terms of three stores

1. Sensory register

2. Short term memory

3. Long term memory

• describes how information is transferred from one store to another, what makes some memories last or disappear

Sensory register

The memory stores for each of our 5 senses

Iconic store

Vision store

• visual

Echoic store

• hearing

• Acoustics (sounds)

Capacity of sensory registers

Huge

Information lasts for short time for iconic memory = 0.05 seconds

But longer for echoic memory = 3 seconds

2 psychologists came up with the multi store model

Richard Atkinson and Richard shiffrins

What does the Multi store model describe

How information flows the the memory

Strength of the multi store model

Supports research using modern techniques that still shows STM and LTM are separate stores

Limitation/ counterpoint to multi-store model

Ranganath and Blumenfeld argue this may be an oversimplified view.

• they point out that there is a significant overlap and interaction between the brain regions that the support the STM and LTM = hippocampus involved in STM tasks

• suggests that evidence for a clear cut separation is not as strong as assumed

What kind of store is short term memory

Acoustic

• temporary store

Maintenance rehearsal

Happens when we repeat material to ourselves over and over again, we keep the information in our STM as long as we rehearse it

• if we rehearse it long enough it passes into LTM

What store is LTM

Coded semantically

• potentially permanent

Retrieval

When we want to recall information from LTM, it has to be transferred ack into STM by a process called retrieval

The case of HM (Henry Molaison)

• underwent surgery for epilepsy

• was not successful had to remove both sides of hippocampus, which is central to to memory function

• had very little recall ability but performed well on tests of immediate memory span, a measure of STM

Limitations of MSM

• evidence of more than one STM store.

Shallice and Warrington

• Amnesia patient was very poor at reading digits out loud by when read digits to themselves recall was much better

• suggests that there could be another short term store for non verbal sounds

• MSM is wrong In claiming that there is juts one STM store processing different types of information

Where is the frontal lobe and hippocampus