Lesson 01 - MSM

who proposed the multi-store model

Atkinson and Shiffrin

when was the multi-store model proposed

1968

describe the MSM structure

memory is structured in 3 stores:

• sensory register

• short term memory

• long term memory

describe how information travels through the MSM

• enters the sensory register

• moves to the STM if attended to

• transferred to the LTM through rehearsal. 

describe the serial position experiment

a list of words are read to a group at constant intervals. the group has a set period of time to record the words they can recall. record how many people recalled which words and plot a line graph portraying this

describe the general trend of results of the serial position experiment

a U-shaped curve showing better recall for the first (primacy effect) and last (recency effect) items compared to those in the middle

explain the results of the serial position experiment

• the primacy effect occurs because early items are rehearsed and transferred to long-term memory

• the recency effect is due to items at the end remaining in short-term memory for recall

define coding

the initial stage of forming memories, where the brain converts information from the senses (like sights, sounds, and feelings) into a form that can be stored and organised in the brain for later storage and retrieval

define storage

holding information in the memory system

define retrieval

the mental process of accessing information stored in long-term memory and bringing it into conscious awareness

define capacity

the maximum amount of information that can be stored or held at a given time

describe the procedure of Jacob’s 1887 study on the STM capacity

• get participant to read back a list of 3 digits. if they do this without making a mistake, continue onto a list of numbers 1 digit longer. repeat until they make a mistake

• count how many digits they could recall correctly – this indicates the individual’s digit span

findings of Jacob’s 1887 study on the STM capacity

• mean digit length - 9.1

• mean letter length - 7.3