THE MULTI-STORE MEMORY MODEL

who developed the multi-store memory model

attkinson and shiffrin in 1968

what does the MSMM describe

how information flows through the memory system by processing

how many memory stores does it suggest exist

3

what are the 3 stores called

• the sensory register or SR

• the short term memory store or STM

• the long term memory store or LTM

describe the MSMM

• environmental stimuli enters the sensory register from the surroundings

• it goes into one of multiple registers depending on what sense it was picked up by

• if attention is paid it moves to the short term sensory register

• if its rehearsed it will stay in the STM longer

• if its encoded it moves to the LTM

• if none of these happen it leaves the STM and is forgotten

• if it moves to the LTM it will stay here

• it can be brought back into the STM by retrieval

what happens in the sensory register

all stimuli from the environment moves to the SR

how many stores are there in the sensory register

there is one for each sense so the different types of information are processed separately

how is information coded in each store

information in each store is coded in a modality-specific way

what does modality-specific mean

it means all of the information is encoded separately but exactly how it is so a memory of a whole object or situation can be made

what is the duration of the sensory register

it is very small and lasts about half a second

what is the capacity of the sensory register

the capcity of the register is very high as there are millions of cells that can take in many pieces of information

how does information move from the sensory register to the short term memory store

information moves to the STM if attention is paid to it

how is information in the STM coded

information is encoded acoustically

what does it mean if information is encoded acoustically

it means information is coded in terms of how it sounds

what is the duration for information in the STM without being rehearsed

about 18 seconds

what is the capacity of the STM like

it has a limited capacity of 7 ± 2

what is maintenance rehearsal

• it occurs when we repeat information to ourselves over and over again

• it will stay in the STM for as long as we rehearse it

what happens to information in the STM if it is rehearsed for long enough

it moves into the LTM to be encoded long term

what is the duration of the LTM like

the duration of the LTM is potentially unlimited

how is information coded in the LTM store

information is coded semantically

what is the capacity of the LTM

the capacity is thought to be potentially unlimited

what type of information is stored in the LTM

it holds information that has been rehearsed for a prolonged period of time

what process is used to transfer LTM information back to the STM

the process is called retrieval

how do studies support the idea that the STM and LTM are separate stores

• the MSMM supports other studies showing the STM + LTM to be separate stores

• for example baddeley found we tend to mix up words that sound similar when using our STM and words that have similar meanings when using our LTM

• other studies by jacobs, miller and peterson+peterson also give further support as they show the two stores code different amounts of information, in different, ways for different periods of time

• these studies clearly show the STM and LTM are separate stores as the MSMM claims

what evidence is their for more than one STM store

• studies such as the one done by shillin and warrington on one of their clients KF who had amnesia

• they found his memory for digits read to him was very poor but when he read the digits himself his recall was much better

• further studies on KF and others showed their could be another STM store for non verbal sounds

• this suggests the MSMM is wrong in suggesting the STM is one store that processes all types of information

why does the MSMM not fully explain how long term storage happens

• prolonged rehearsal is not needed to transfer information into the LTM

• according to the MSMM the amount of rehearsal is suggested to be the most important in transferring information into the LTM

• but craik and watkins found the type of rehearsal is more important than the amount and that elaborative rehearsal is needed for long term storage

• this occurs when you link to information to existing knowledge or think about what it means

• this means that information can be transferred to the LTM without prolonged rehearsal

• this suggests the MSMM doesnt fully explain how long term storage is achieved