CONTRAST two models of memory

What is memory in cognitive psychology?

process of encoding, storing, and retrieving information.

What are the three main components of the Multi-Store Model (MSM) of memory?

Sensory Memory (SM), Short-Term Memory (STM), and Long-Term Memory (LTM).

What are the key features of Sensory Memory in the MSM?

It stores information from the five senses with unlimited capacity, but holds information for only 3–4 seconds.

What are the features of STM according to the MSM?

STM has a capacity of about 7–8 items, lasts 30 seconds, and uses mainly visual and auditory encoding. Information is retained through rehearsal.

How is information transferred from STM to LTM in the MSM?

Through the process of rehearsal.

What is the capacity and duration of LTM in the MSM?

Unlimited capacity and potentially lifelong duration.

What was the aim of Glanzer & Cunitz's study?

To show that STM and LTM are separate memory stores and examine the duration of STM using the recency effect.

What was the procedure in Glanzer & Cunitz's study?

Participants (US army men) recalled words from a 15-word list under three conditions: immediate recall, 10-second delay, or 30-second delay with a distractor task.

What did Glanzer & Cunitz find?

Immediate recall showed both primacy and recency effects; delayed recall reduced recency effect but preserved primacy effect, supporting MSM’s separate stores.

Who proposed the Working Memory Model and what does it focus on?

Baddeley and Hitch proposed the WMM, which provides a more detailed view of STM, suggesting it has multiple components.

What are the four key components of the WMM?

Central Executive, Phonological Loop, Visuo-Spatial Sketchpad, and Episodic Buffer.

What does the Phonological Loop do?

Handles verbal/auditory information; includes the phonological store (“inner ear”) and articulatory control process (“inner voice”).

What is the role of the Visuo-Spatial Sketchpad?

Processes and stores visual and spatial information.

What is the Episodic Buffer?

A temporary store that integrates information from the slave systems and connects STM to LTM.

What was the aim of Shallice & Warrington’s case study of KF?

To show that STM is not a unitary system.

What happened to KF and what did researchers find?

KF had a motorbike accident and damaged his left parietal lobe. He had trouble recalling auditory-verbal information but could recall visual info normally.

What does KF's case support?

The WMM, especially the idea that STM has separate subsystems like the phonological loop and visuo-spatial sketchpad.

How do the MSM and WMM differ in their view of STM?

MSM sees STM as a single store, while WMM sees STM as composed of multiple subsystems.

How does each model explain empirical findings?

MSM is supported by primacy and recency effects (Glanzer & Cunitz); WMM is supported by modality-specific deficits (KF case study).

How does MSM explain transfer to LTM vs. WMM?

MSM emphasizes rehearsal for transfer to LTM; WMM includes the episodic buffer to link STM and LTM without rehearsal.

What real-life application supports the MSM's view of STM capacity?

Phone numbers are often limited to around 7 digits because STM can only hold ~7–8 items at a time.

What practical application does the WMM help explain?

Multitasking — e.g., driving while speaking — because different slave systems can process visual and auditory info simultaneously.