Multi-store Memory Model

Timeline

1. Encode

2. Sensory register- Encoded Iconic (visual) and echoic (auditory)

3. Duration (0.5 seconds)

4. Capacity (unlimited)

5. Attention

6. Short term memory- Encoding Acoustic

7. Duration (18-30 seconds)

8. Capacity (limited 5-9 items)

9. Maintenance rehearsal (keeps it in short term)

10. Elaborate rehearsal

11. transfer

12. Long Term memory- Encoded Sematic (meanings)

13. Duration (potentially permanent)

14. Capacity (unlimited)

15. Retrieval (goes back to short term for use)

SS Duration research

Walsh and Thompson (1978) Flashed images of the letter ‘o’ twice with a brief interval between each presentation. The researchers recorded the interval from which participants could report that they saw a continuous stimulus, it was found that the iconic (Visual) sensory store has an average duration of 0.5 seconds which decreases as individuals get older. This suggests the duration of sensory memories is limited and dependent on age

How does this support- Highlights the differences in how much sensory information can be retained

SS Encoding research

• difficult to understand how things are remembered with such a tiny store therefore there is no research into the encoding of the sensory store

SS Capacity research

Sperling (1960) studied the sensory memory for Iconic (Visual), he asked participants to recall as many letters as they could from a grid of 12 symbols that he displayed on a screen for 50 milliseconds. Found that while they could only recall around 4 of the symbols before the grid faded from their sensory memory, they typically reported seeing a lot more than they had time to report

How this supports- Recall based on quantity have to intake one point in time, longer capacity but just remember what your focusing on

STM Duration research

Peterson and Peterson (1959) nonsense trigrams were read to participants and then pps were asked to count backwards in 3s from a large random 3 digit number for varying periods of time. After a 3s delay there was 80% recall compared to 10% after 18s

How this supports- Recall decreases as time increases, supports idea that short term memory is 15-30 seconds

STM Coding research

Baddeley (1966) gave pps four sets of words

• Set 1= similar sounding words (cat, mat, cap, map)

• Set 2= different sounding words (dog, bin, cup, pen)

• Set 3= similar meaning words (big, large, huge, vast)

• Set 4= different meaning words (huge, light, blue, good)

  When asked to recall immediately pps made more mistakes on words that sounded alike

How this supports- Difference is easier to recall due to hearing difference vs harder to recall if similar

STM Capacity research

Jacobs (1887) Tested STM capacity with the serial digit span method where participants are presented with increasingly long lists of numbers or letters and have to immediately recall them in the right order. Jacobs found the capacity for numbers was 9.3 items and for letters 7.3 items for immediate recall

LTM Duration research

Bahrick et al. (1975) He used a sample of 392 American ex-high-school students aged between 17 and 74, the time since leaving high school was up to 48 years. The pps were tested in several ways including free recall and a photo recognition test, the pps were asked to identify their former classmates from a set of 50 photos. LTM was assessed by comparing the participants responses with yearbooks of all the students in that year, results showed the recognition group was 90% accurate after 14 years and 60% after 47 years

How this supports- That people remember less as years go on, supports that long term memory deteriorates gradually

LTM Coding research

Baddeley (1966) Demonstrated encoding in LTM is semantic as this experiment was the same as the STM coding experiment except that recall was done after 20 minutes, delayed so that recall comes from memory in LTM, participants had more difficulty remembering the semantically similar words (set 3)

How this supports- This shows that LTM relies on semantic encoding, words with similar meanings are more likely to change to other similar words

LTM Capacity research

Wagenaar (1986) created a diary of 2400 events over 6 years and tested himself on recall of events rather than dates, finding he to had excellent recall, again suggesting the capacity of LTM is extremely large

How this supports- Has a large capacity unlimited, able to remember events

Many memory studies have been criticised for being unrealistic

1. Studies in natural experiments- if they are in natural environments it will allow them to show realistic remembrance as it would be realistic to the participants

2. Tasks are everyday tasks- what people are used to so will show participants natural reactions to the circumstances

3. Realistic stimuli- giving participants realistic things to remember will improve the validity of the study

4. Different methodology/data collection techniques- if they try out different techniques it could further develop the understanding of human nature (memory)

Evaluation points

Research support +

Alternative theory -

Case study research -

Real world applications +