Memory
The multi-store model of memory
The multi- - A representation of how memory works in terms of three
store model stores: sensory register, short-term memory and long-term
(MSM) memory
- It also describes how information is transferred from one
store to another, how it is remembered and how it is
forgotten
- Atkinson and Shiffrin (1968, 1971)
Sensory - The memory stores for each of our five senses, such as
register vision (iconic store) and hearing (echoic store)
- Stimulus from the environment, e.g. the sound of
someone’s name passes into the sensory registers along
with lots of other sights, sounds smells etc
- Coding in the iconic sensory register is visual and in the
echoic register is acoustic
- Huge capacity (millions of receptors)
- Information lasts for a very short time (less than half a
second)
- Very little of what goes into the sensory register passes
further into the memory system
- It only will only pass through if you pay attention to it
Short-term - Limited capacity store – can only contain a few things
memory before forgetting takes place, between 5-9 items (the
(STM) magic number 7+/- 2)
- Coded acoustically
- Lasts about 30s unless it is rehearsed
- Maintenance rehearsal occurs when we repeat material to
ourselves over and over again and can be kept in the STM
as long as its rehearsed
- If rehearsed enough, it passes into the long-term memory
(LTM)
Long-term - Potentially permanent memory store for information that
memory has been rehearsed for a long time
(LTM) - Unlimited capacity that lasts for many years
- Bahrick (1975) found many of their participants were able
to recognise the names and faces of their classmates
almost 50 years after graduating
- Coded semantically (in terms of meaning)
, Memory
- When we want to recall information in the LTM, it has to be
transferred back into the STM by a process called retrieval
as none of our memories are recalled directly from LTM
Strengths Supporting research evidence
- MSM is supported by studies that show that STM and LTM
differ
- For example, Baddeley (1974) found we tend to mix up
words that sound similar when we are using our STM, but
we mix up words that have similar meanings when we use
our LTMS
- This supports the MSM as it clearly shows that the coding
in the STM is acoustic and in LTM is semantic, exemplifying
how they differ, supporting the MSM’s view that these two
memory stores are independent
Weaknesses There is more than one type of STM
- The MSM suggests that STM is a unitary store, however
evidence from people suffering from amnesia show there is
more than one type of short-term memory
- For example, Shallice and Warrington (1970) studied a
patient with amnesia, KF, and found that his short-term
memory for digits was very poor when it was read aloud to
him but his recall was better when he read the digits to
himself
- Further studies of KF and other patients with amnesia
showed there could even be another short-term store for
non-verbal sounds, such as noises
- The unitary STM is a limitation of the MSM as research
shows that there must be at least one short-term store to
process visual information and another to process auditory
information
- The working memory model includes these separate stores
There is more than one type of rehearsal
- According to the MSM, what matters in rehearsal is the
amount of it you do, so the more you rehearse information,
the more likely you are to transfer it LTM
- However, Craik and Watkins (1973) disproved this – what
really matters about rehearsal is the type as they
discovered two types of rehearsal
- Maintenance rehearsal is the type described in the MSM,
but does not transfer information into the LTM but just
maintains it in the STM
- Elaborative rehersal is needed for long-term storage and
occurs when you link information to your existing
knowledge, or think about what it means
- This is a limitation of the MSM as it is another research
The multi-store model of memory
The multi- - A representation of how memory works in terms of three
store model stores: sensory register, short-term memory and long-term
(MSM) memory
- It also describes how information is transferred from one
store to another, how it is remembered and how it is
forgotten
- Atkinson and Shiffrin (1968, 1971)
Sensory - The memory stores for each of our five senses, such as
register vision (iconic store) and hearing (echoic store)
- Stimulus from the environment, e.g. the sound of
someone’s name passes into the sensory registers along
with lots of other sights, sounds smells etc
- Coding in the iconic sensory register is visual and in the
echoic register is acoustic
- Huge capacity (millions of receptors)
- Information lasts for a very short time (less than half a
second)
- Very little of what goes into the sensory register passes
further into the memory system
- It only will only pass through if you pay attention to it
Short-term - Limited capacity store – can only contain a few things
memory before forgetting takes place, between 5-9 items (the
(STM) magic number 7+/- 2)
- Coded acoustically
- Lasts about 30s unless it is rehearsed
- Maintenance rehearsal occurs when we repeat material to
ourselves over and over again and can be kept in the STM
as long as its rehearsed
- If rehearsed enough, it passes into the long-term memory
(LTM)
Long-term - Potentially permanent memory store for information that
memory has been rehearsed for a long time
(LTM) - Unlimited capacity that lasts for many years
- Bahrick (1975) found many of their participants were able
to recognise the names and faces of their classmates
almost 50 years after graduating
- Coded semantically (in terms of meaning)
, Memory
- When we want to recall information in the LTM, it has to be
transferred back into the STM by a process called retrieval
as none of our memories are recalled directly from LTM
Strengths Supporting research evidence
- MSM is supported by studies that show that STM and LTM
differ
- For example, Baddeley (1974) found we tend to mix up
words that sound similar when we are using our STM, but
we mix up words that have similar meanings when we use
our LTMS
- This supports the MSM as it clearly shows that the coding
in the STM is acoustic and in LTM is semantic, exemplifying
how they differ, supporting the MSM’s view that these two
memory stores are independent
Weaknesses There is more than one type of STM
- The MSM suggests that STM is a unitary store, however
evidence from people suffering from amnesia show there is
more than one type of short-term memory
- For example, Shallice and Warrington (1970) studied a
patient with amnesia, KF, and found that his short-term
memory for digits was very poor when it was read aloud to
him but his recall was better when he read the digits to
himself
- Further studies of KF and other patients with amnesia
showed there could even be another short-term store for
non-verbal sounds, such as noises
- The unitary STM is a limitation of the MSM as research
shows that there must be at least one short-term store to
process visual information and another to process auditory
information
- The working memory model includes these separate stores
There is more than one type of rehearsal
- According to the MSM, what matters in rehearsal is the
amount of it you do, so the more you rehearse information,
the more likely you are to transfer it LTM
- However, Craik and Watkins (1973) disproved this – what
really matters about rehearsal is the type as they
discovered two types of rehearsal
- Maintenance rehearsal is the type described in the MSM,
but does not transfer information into the LTM but just
maintains it in the STM
- Elaborative rehersal is needed for long-term storage and
occurs when you link information to your existing
knowledge, or think about what it means
- This is a limitation of the MSM as it is another research
