memory - the multi-store model of memory.

Question 1

What is meant by “multi-store model”?

Answer 1

A structural model that consists of three core components that work together.

Question 2

What is meant by “sensory register”?

Answer 2

Takes in sensory stimuli from the environment.

Question 3

What is meant by “short-term memory”?

Answer 3

A limited capacity memory store where small amounts of information can be kept for a brief period of time.

Question 4

What is meant by “long-term memory”?

Answer 4

A permanent memory store where limitless amounts of information can be stored for a long period of time.

Question 5

What is meant by “coding”?

Answer 5

The way in which information is changed and stored in memory.

Question 6

What is meant by “capacity”?

Answer 6

A measure of how much information can be held in memory.

Question 7

What is meant by “duration”?

Answer 7

Length of time information can be held in memory.

Question 8

What is meant by “model”?

Answer 8

An analogy of how memory works.

Question 9

What are the two models of memory?

Answer 9

• the multi-store model.
• the working memory model.

Question 10

Who described the multi-store model and when?

Answer 10

Atkinson and Shiffrin in 1968.

Question 11

What does the multi-store model state?

Answer 11

• contains several testable propositions.
• contains both stores and processes.
• memory consists of separate stores.
• information is transferred from STM to LTM by rehearsal.
• each store contains a certain amount of information in a different way and for a different length of time.
• STM and LTM are unitary stores that cannot be subdivided.

Question 12

What are the three memory stores of the MSM?

Answer 12

• sensory memory.
• short-term memory.
• long-term memory.

Question 13

[LEARN TO DRAW THE MULTI-STORE MODEL DIAGRAM]

Answer 13

[LEARN TO DRAW THE MULTI-STORE MODEL DIAGRAM]

Question 14

What stores come off the sensory register?

Answer 14

• iconic memory.
• echoic memory.

Question 15

What is the duration of information received in the sensory register?

Answer 15

• last only briefly.
• about 1-2 seconds.

Question 16

What is the capacity of the sensory register?

Answer 16

High capacity as it is constantly receiving information.

Question 17

How can information be passed within the sensory register?

Answer 17

• for information to be passed onto the STM the person’s attention needs to be focused on one of the sensory stores.
• if you don’t pay attention to the information it will be forgotten.

Question 18

What is the capacity of STM?

Answer 18

• can only hold a small amount of information before it is forgotten.
• between 5- 9 items.

Question 19

How is information coded in STM?

Answer 19

Acoustically.

Question 20

What is the duration of STM?

Answer 20

About 18 seconds.

Question 21

How can information be kept in STM?

Answer 21

• need to repeat information in order to keep it (maintenance rehearsal).
• once rehearsed long enough it will be passed onto the LTM.

Question 22

What is the capacity of LTM?

Answer 22

• unlimited.
• information can last for a long period of time.

Question 23

How is information coded in LTM?

Answer 23

Semantically.

Question 24

How can information be kept in LTM?

Answer 24

Retrieval where information in the LTM is passed back to the STM to be available to use.

Question 25

What are the *strengths* of the **MSM**?

Answer 25

- supportive research. - brain scans.

Question 26

What are the *weaknesses* of the **MSM**?

Answer 26

- there is more than one type of rehearsal. - artificial materials. - there is more than one type of STM.

Question 27

What is the evaluation of the *MSM* - **supportive research**?

Answer 27

**POINT** - one strength is that there is research support for the existence of separate short-term and long-term stores.  **EVIDENCE** - Baddeley’s research into the difference in coding between STM and LTM found that STM encodes information acoustically whereas LTM encodes semantically. **EXPLANATION** - suggests STM and LTM's features have different characteristics. **LINK** - supports idea that there are separate memory stores which are unitary and independent from one another.

Question 28

What is the evaluation **point** of the *MSM* - **supportive research**?

Answer 28

One strength is that there is research support for the existence of separate short-term and long-term stores. 

Question 29

What is the evaluation **evidence** of the *MSM* - **supportive research**?

Answer 29

Baddeley’s research into the difference in coding between STM and LTM found that STM encodes information acoustically whereas LTM encodes semantically.

Question 30

What is the evaluation **explanation** of the *MSM* - **supportive research**?

Answer 30

Suggests STM and LTM's features have different characteristics.

Question 31

What is the evaluation **link** of the *MSM* - **supportive research**?

Answer 31

Supports idea that there are separate memory stores which are unitary and independent from one another.

Question 32

What is the evaluation of the *MSM* - **brain scans**?

Answer 32

**POINT** - one strength is that there is neurobiological support for the existence of STM and LTM. **EVIDENCE** - Beardsley (1997) found that prefrontal cortex is active during STM tasks but not LTM tasks. Squire et al (1992) found hippocampus is active when LTM is engaged in a LTM task. **EXPLANATION** - suggests we can identify distinct areas of the brain which are engaged in different memory tasks. Different brain regions are activated depending on task and memory store it requires. **LINK** - strengthens idea that LTM and STM are unitary memory stores and work independently.

Question 33

What is the evaluation **point** of the *MSM* - **brain scans**?

Answer 33

One strength is that there is neurobiological support for the existence of STM and LTM.

Question 34

What is the evaluation **evidence** of the *MSM* - **brain scans**?

Answer 34

Beardsley (1997) found that prefrontal cortex is active during STM tasks but not LTM tasks. Squire et al (1992) found hippocampus is active when LTM is engaged in a LTM task.

Question 35

What is the evaluation **explanation** of the *MSM* - **brain scans**?

Answer 35

- suggests we can identify distinct areas of the brain which are engaged in different memory tasks. - different brain regions are activated depending on task and memory store it requires.

Question 36

What is the evaluation **link** of the *MSM* - **brain scans**?

Answer 36

Strengthens idea that LTM and STM are unitary memory stores and work independently.

Question 37

What is the evaluation of the *MSM* - **there is more than one type of rehearsal**?

Answer 37

**POINT** - one weakness is that it only accounts for one type of rehearsal. LTM involves more than just maintenance rehearsal. **EVIDENCE** - Craik and Lockhart (1972) criticised as they suggested enduring memories are created by the processing you do rather than maintenance rehearsal. Information that is processed more deeply are more memorable. **EXPLANATION** - more you rehearse information look at list of words the more likely you are to transfer that information to LTM however it has been discovered there are two types of rehearsal. Elaborative rehearsal. **LINK** - fails to consider there are many different processes involved in storing LTMs.

Question 38

What is the evaluation **point** of the *MSM* - **there is more than one type of rehearsal**?

Answer 38

One weakness is that it only accounts for one type of rehearsal. LTM involves more than just maintenance rehearsal.

Question 39

What is the evaluation **evidence** of the *MSM* - **there is more than one type of rehearsal**?

Answer 39

- Craik and Lockhart (1972) criticised as they suggested enduring memories are created by the processing you do rather than maintenance rehearsal. - information that is processed more deeply are more memorable.

Question 40

What is the evaluation **explanation** of the *MSM* - **there is more than one type of rehearsal**?

Answer 40

- more you rehearse information look at list of words the more likely you are to transfer that information to LTM however it has been discovered there are two types of rehearsal. - elaborative rehearsal.

Question 41

What is the evaluation **link** of the *MSM* - **there is more than one type of rehearsal**?

Answer 41

Fails to consider there are many different processes involved in storing LTMs.

Question 42

What is the evaluation of the *MSM* - **artificial materials**?

Answer 42

**POINT** - one weakness is the features of the STM and LTM relies on the use of artificial methods. **EVIDENCE** - lot of research studies relied on the use of artificial stimuli in procedures such as recalling tasks using letters and digits. **EXPLANATION** - task do not reflect the way we use memory in normal everyday life making the MSM lack mundane realism. Research study must involve incorporative tasks of everyday materials such as people’s faces, names or words and sentences that are far more meaningful. **LINK** - lacks external validity as it does not accurately reflect the way memory operates in the outside world.

Question 43

What is the evaluation **point** of the *MSM* - **artificial stimuli**?

Answer 43

One weakness is the features of the STM and LTM relies on the use of artificial methods.

Question 44

What is the evaluation **evidence** of the *MSM* - **artificial stimuli**?

Answer 44

Lot of research studies relied on the use of artificial stimuli in procedures such as recalling tasks using letters and digits.

Question 45

What is the evaluation **explanation** of the *MSM* - **artificial stimuli**?

Answer 45

- task do not reflect the way we use memory in normal everyday life making the MSM lack mundane realism. - research study must involve incorporative tasks of everyday materials such as people’s faces, names or words and sentences that are far more meaningful.

Question 46

What is the evaluation **link** of the *MSM* - **artificial stimuli**?

Answer 46

Lacks external validity as it does not accurately reflect the way memory operates in the outside world.

Question 47

What is the evaluation of the *MSM* - **there is more than one type of STM**?

Answer 47

**POINT** - one weakness is that case study evidence suggests that there may not just be one type of STM. **EVIDENCE** - Shallice and Warrington (1970) studied amnesic patient Patient KF who had suffered fro brain damage as a result of a head injury. His digit span was tested by presenting the digits to him visually and his performance was much better compared to the verbal digit span test where he only recalled 2 digits. **EXPLANATION** - must be one short term store which processes visual information and another one to process auditory information. **LINK** - structure of STM is more complex than Atkinson and Shiffrin have suggested as model does not go far enough in breaking down the STM.

Question 48

What is the evaluation **point** of the *MSM* - **there is more than one type of STM**?

Answer 48

One weakness is that case study evidence suggests that there may not just be one type of STM.

Question 49

What is the evaluation **evidence** of the *MSM* - **there is more than one type of STM**?

Answer 49

- Shallice and Warrington (1970) studied amnesic patient Patient KF who had suffered from brain damage as a result of a head injury. - his digit span was tested by presenting the digits to him visually and his performance was much better compared to the verbal digit span test where he only recalled 2 digits.

Question 50

What is the evaluation **explanation** of the *MSM* - **there is more than one type of STM**?

Answer 50

Must be one short term store which processes visual information and another one to process auditory information.

Question 51

What is the evaluation **link** of the *MSM* - **there is more than one type of STM**?

Answer 51

Structure of STM is more complex than Atkinson and Shiffrin have suggested as model does not go far enough in breaking down the STM.