The Multi Store Memory Model

The Multi Store Memory Model

Atkinson and Shiffrin, 1968

= developed the multi-store memory model (MSM) which describes the flow between 3 permanent storage systems of memory:

1. The sensory register (SR)

2. The short-term memory (STM)

3. The long-term memory (LTM)

MSM key features (A01)

Describes the transfer of information between these stores

= information passes through in a linear direction

= passive model

= describes short term memory as one unitary store

= comparable to a computer (input/process/output)

1. Sensory Register

Where information from the senses is stored, but only for a duration of approximately half a second before its forgotten

= It is modality-specific, i.e., whichever sense is registered will match the way it is consequently held

(e.g., a taste held a taste, a sound held a sound)

2. Short Term Memory

If paid attention to, sensory information moves into the STM for temporary storage, which will be encoded visually (as an image), acoustically (as a sound) or, less often, semantically (through meaning)

o Short term memory is thought to have a capacity of 5-9 items and a duration of approximately 15-30 seconds

o This can be increased through "chunking" (converting a string of items into a number of larger "chunks")

--- rehearsing information via the rehearsal loop helps to retain information in the STM

3. Long Term Memory

Information can then be consolidated where it is predominantly encoded semantically

= Information can be stored in the LTM and retrieved for up to any duration, and equally has a seemingly unlimited capacity

Functional Processes

Attention

Maintenance Rehearsal

Retrieval

KF Case Study

KF, motorcycle accident, suffered brain damage

-- Damaged his short-term memory, impairment was mainly for verbal information, but LTM was largely unaffected and remained intact

--Shows the STM and LTM are separate

= also shows how the STM is not a unitary store

-- Visual STM remained undamaged, Verbal STM was severely affected

-- Different parts of STM are dedicated to processing different types of information

CRITICISES MSM

HM Case Study

Suffered bike accident when he was 9, recovered but suffered from fits, diagnoses with epilepsy\

-- Medication didn't work so underwent surgery at 27

-- Two temporal lobes (including hippocampus - largely responsible for memory) were removed

-- LTM remained intact, STM damaged as he was unable to form new memories + couldn't transfer new information into his LTM

SUPPORTS MSM

STRENGTH of MSM - Research Methods

P

= A strength of the multi store memory model is that it has a wide range of supporting research evidence

EV

= Research by Baddley concluded that the short-term memory is encoded acoustically, and the long-term memory is encoded semantically

EX

= This supports the MSM as it suggests that we confuse words that are acoustically similar and words that are semantically similar, whilst also supporting the idea that there are two distinct systems for short term and long-term memory

EXT

= Furthermore, the case of Henry Molaison also supports the MSM as it proposes the LTM and STM systems are separate. When he was 9 years old, Henry Molaison was involved in a cycling accident. He recovered and appeared fine but started to have fits, which was later diagnoses as epilepsy. Molaison was neglected by his family and medication did not work to resolve his condition, so at the age of 27, he underwent surgery where his temporal lobes, including the hippocampus (an area known to be crucial for memory), were removed. He remembered some things such as childhood events, but was unable to form new memories, and different areas of his short-term memory were affected

LB

= The evidence from this case study, as well as the previous research of Baddley concludes that there must be two different areas of the brain responsible for STM and LTM.

WEAKNESSES of MSM - Too Simplistic

P

= The model is arguably too simple

EX

= Evidence suggests that there is multiple short- and long-term memory stores, such as the research by Tulving (1972) on how the long-term memory can be split into episodic, procedural, and semantic memory

EV

= Further evidence of Tulving's findings can be seen in the case study of Clive Wearing who lost episodic memory, but not procedural memory, suggesting there must be more than one type of long-term memory

EXT

= As well as this, the Baddley and Hitch's Working Memory Model (1974) challenges the ideas of Atkinson and Shiffrin as it claims that the STM has several components, such as the phonological store, the phonological loop, and the visuo-spatial sketchpad. These 3 different stores are organised by the episodic buffer which brings all the memories together to be viewed as a whole. The working memory model is credited as being a more complex model than the MSM and explains processes that the MSM cannot, such as how we can multitask

LB

= Due to this, the Multi store Model may be viewed as reductionist and is discredited as it cannot explain how some areas of the long-term memory can be affected when others aren't.

WEAKNESSES of MSM - Flashbulb Memories

P

= Evidence against the multistore model is the idea of flashbulb memories

EV

= This contradicts the multi store model as information appears to have gotten into the long-term memory without having been rehearsed, for example, a traumatic or emotional events that you can recall perfectly without functional processes involved

EX

= This can be seen in everyday life as we rarely ever rehearse information, yet we have little problem in storing huge amounts of information, so this idea criticises the idea of rehearsal

EXT

= In addition to this, the KF case study also criticises the model as it suggests that the short-term memory isn't a unitary store. KF suffered brain damage from a motorcycle accident, and while his visual short-term memory remained undamaged, his verbal short-term memory was severely impacted, providing evidence that different parts of the short-term memory are dedicated to processing different types of information

LB

= Individuals can have significant occurrences happen to them in their lifetime that only happen once and they can remember these memories without the need to rehearse them, therefore the multi store model cannot be fully comprehensive explanation of all long-term memories