Outline and evaluate the multi-store model of memory (16 marks)
Atkinson and Shiffrin proposed the multi-store model of memory, which is
a linear representation of how our memory works. There are three
components to the multi-store model which include the sensory register,
short-term memory and long-term memory. Firstly, sensory information
from the environment enters the sensory register, which has a high
capacity and only has a duration of a few seconds. If the sensory
information is attended to, the information moves into the short-term
memory, which has a duration of 18-30 seconds, a capacity of 7+/-2 items
and is coded acoustically. The information can be rehearsed in the short-
term memory through maintenance rehearsal. If we rehearse the
information for a pro-longed amount of time (going over the information
continuously), then the information enters into the long-term memory
store. The long-term memory store has a limitless capacity, and its
duration lasts for a life time. It is also coded semantically. Information can
go back into the short-term memory through retrieval.
There is research to support the multi-store model which comes from
Baddeley, who found that the participants recall declined when they were
asked to recall words that were acoustically similar, and they also recalled
words poorly when they were asked to recall semantically similar words
20 minutes after seeing them. These findings support the idea that the
short-term memory is coded acoustically and that the long-term memory
is encoded semantically, supporting the concepts of the multi-store
model. However, the research can be criticised for lacking in
meaningfulness. The words the participants were asked to recall had no
meaning or purpose behind them. Processing more meaningful
information may lead to a difference in how the information is coded, and
so therefore the research lacks ecological validity and mundane realism,
as the tasks were artificial and questionable as to if they can be applied to
the real world and more meaningful situations.
The multi-store model has also been criticised for being too simplistic.
There is now further research into memory that suggests there are
multiple components within the short-term memory rather than it being a
single store like the multi-store model claims. For example, a idiographic
case study into KF found that damage to his brain (from a motorbike
accident) led to him struggling to recall digits when he heard them
compared to when he read them. This shows that there may be different
stores within the short-term memory, and so future research and models,
such as the working memory model, may be more suitable and accurate
in representing how our memory works. However, all though the multi-
store model may be simplistic, it has influenced other researchers such as
Baddeley and Hitch to develop on the multi-store model and come up with
a more accurate representation of memory, and so the multi-store model
can be applauded inspiring future researchers to investigate memory.
Atkinson and Shiffrin proposed the multi-store model of memory, which is
a linear representation of how our memory works. There are three
components to the multi-store model which include the sensory register,
short-term memory and long-term memory. Firstly, sensory information
from the environment enters the sensory register, which has a high
capacity and only has a duration of a few seconds. If the sensory
information is attended to, the information moves into the short-term
memory, which has a duration of 18-30 seconds, a capacity of 7+/-2 items
and is coded acoustically. The information can be rehearsed in the short-
term memory through maintenance rehearsal. If we rehearse the
information for a pro-longed amount of time (going over the information
continuously), then the information enters into the long-term memory
store. The long-term memory store has a limitless capacity, and its
duration lasts for a life time. It is also coded semantically. Information can
go back into the short-term memory through retrieval.
There is research to support the multi-store model which comes from
Baddeley, who found that the participants recall declined when they were
asked to recall words that were acoustically similar, and they also recalled
words poorly when they were asked to recall semantically similar words
20 minutes after seeing them. These findings support the idea that the
short-term memory is coded acoustically and that the long-term memory
is encoded semantically, supporting the concepts of the multi-store
model. However, the research can be criticised for lacking in
meaningfulness. The words the participants were asked to recall had no
meaning or purpose behind them. Processing more meaningful
information may lead to a difference in how the information is coded, and
so therefore the research lacks ecological validity and mundane realism,
as the tasks were artificial and questionable as to if they can be applied to
the real world and more meaningful situations.
The multi-store model has also been criticised for being too simplistic.
There is now further research into memory that suggests there are
multiple components within the short-term memory rather than it being a
single store like the multi-store model claims. For example, a idiographic
case study into KF found that damage to his brain (from a motorbike
accident) led to him struggling to recall digits when he heard them
compared to when he read them. This shows that there may be different
stores within the short-term memory, and so future research and models,
such as the working memory model, may be more suitable and accurate
in representing how our memory works. However, all though the multi-
store model may be simplistic, it has influenced other researchers such as
Baddeley and Hitch to develop on the multi-store model and come up with
a more accurate representation of memory, and so the multi-store model
can be applauded inspiring future researchers to investigate memory.
