Multi-store model of memory

What is the multi-store model of memory?

a representation of how memory works. It has 3 stores: sensory store, STM and LTM. It also describes how information can move from one store to another

Who created the multi-store model?

Atkinson and Shiffrin, 1968

What goes into the sensory store?

taste, hearing, sight, smell ,touch

What are the two main types of coding in the Sensory Register?

Iconic (visual) and echoic (hearing)

What is the capacity of the Sensory Register?

Very large

What is the duration of the Sensory Register?

less than half a second

What must happen for information to pass from the Sensory Register to STM?

Attention.

What is the main type of coding in STM?

Acoustic.

What is the capacity of STM?

7 ± 2 items (5-9)

What is the duration of STM?

Around 18–30 seconds

What must happen for information to remain in our STM?

maintenance rehearsal

What must happen for information to pass from STM to LTM?

Rehearsal.

What is the main coding type in LTM?

Semantic

What is the capacity of LTM?

Unlimited

What is the duration of LTM?

Up to a lifetime

What process brings information from LTM back into STM?

Retrieval

Draw out the multi-store model

Who was Henry Molaison (HM)?

A patient who underwent brain surgery to treat severe epilepsy, leading to major memory impairments.

What was the result of his procedure going wrong?

he was left with no ability to store or retrieve new experiences. All memories of experiences disappear after 30 seconds because he is unable to transfer the memories into his long-term memory store. He could only remember basic details from before his operation

How does the HM case study support the multi-store model?

as it shows that STM and LTM are separate

How is the fact that there is a case study to support it a strength of the MSM? (+counter/development)

as it provides evidence that the LTM and STM are separate from each other as well as the sensory store. This evidence helps the MSM to be more reliable

C: however, it can be argued that this research to support the MSM can’t be accepted as the case of HM is a case study, meaning that there is difficulty generalising the results to the wider population and therefore it lacks population validity

Give an example of this strength

for example, when he was 27, HM used to suffer from epilepsy until a surgeon relieved it by removing his hippocampus vias surgery. This surgery cured his epilepsy, but his LTM suffered damage. HM could no longer store or retrieve memories from his LTM and was continuously living in the short-term

How is the fact that the MSM has a vast amount of research evidence into the different features of the different stores to support it a strength? (+counter/development)

as it clearly shows that there are differences in the features of the STM and LTM, further supporting the MSM, and therefore making it more reliable

C: however, it can be argued that Baddeley’s research is not valid as evidence as he used an independent groups design meaning that participant variable become an issue and may have impacted the results

Give an example of this strength

for instance, Baddeley did research into coding and found that information is coded acoustically in the STM and semantically in the LTM. Additionally, Peterson and Peterson found the information in the STM can last from 18-30 seconds whilst Bahrick et al found that LTM can last up to a lifetime

How is the fact that the MSM can be criticised for using flawed methodologies within its research evidence a weakness?

as it highlights the fact that the model is based off of flawed evidence, which in turn means that the model itself is flawed and potentially invalid

Give an example of this weakness

for example, many of the studies described above would have been conducted in a lab, which is not natural for the participants. This means that the majority of this research lacks ecological validity, and this unnatural environment could have caused a change in ppts behaviour

How is the fact that Atkinson and Shiffrin have been criticised for their simplistic representation of STM a disadvantage?

as it highlights that Atkinson and Shiffrin proposed a very narrow view of STM, ignoring the evidence of there being different types of STM to process different types of information

Give an example of this limitation

for instance, the MSM argues that STM is just an independent store and that there is just one type of STM. However, other models would argue that there are different STM stores for different types of information.