memory: the multi-store model

Question 1

Name the 3 stores in the Multi-store Model

Answer 1

sensory register, short term memory store, long term memory store

Question 2

How is information encoded/coded in sensory memory (register)?

Answer 2

through attention

Question 3

What is the capacity and duration of sensory memory?

Answer 3

duration= less then 0.5 seconds
capacity= 7+/- 2 items

Question 4

How is information transferred from Sensory memory to STM?

Answer 4

through attention being focused on any incoming material

Question 5

What is the Capacity and duration of STM?

Answer 5

capacity= 5-9 items
duration= 30 seconds

Question 6

How is information encoded/coded in STM?

Answer 6

through maintenance rehearsal (repeating material)

Question 7

What is the Capacity and duration of LTM?

Answer 7

capacity= unlimited
duration= many years (people remember classmates from 50+ years ago)

Question 8

How is information encoded/coded in LTM?

Answer 8

semantically

Question 9

How is information transferred between STM to LTM according to the MSM model?

Answer 9

STM-LTM= through retrieval
LTM-STM= consolidation

Question 10

How did Peterson and Peterson measure the duration of STM? A01

Answer 10

by investigating the duration of STM with a lab experiment of 24 students, they had to recall meaningless 3 letter trigrams. to prevent reversal, students had to count backwards in 3/4s from a number until asked to recall trigram

Question 11

What were the Key findings of P & P’s research? A01

Answer 11

the longer the interval, the less accurate recall

80% of trigrams recalled a
in 3 seconds
10% was correctly recalled in 18 seconds

Question 12

How do the findings of Peterson and Peterson’s study support the MSM? A03

Answer 12

because the STM was 18 seconds and if the participants were unable to rehearse then the information could not be transferred to the LTM

Question 13

Why has Peterson and Peterson’s study been criticised for lacking external validity? e.g. how is remembering Trigams different to the sorts of information we remember in daily life?

Answer 13

his study used simple three-letter combinations in a lab setting, which doesn’t match the complexity of real-life memory tasks. Real-life memory involves remembering meaningful information like names, faces, and events, which are more varied and rich in context. this meaning that the study may lack external validity (mundane realism)

Question 14

How did Jacobs measure the capacity of STM? A01

Answer 14

digit span test- participants are presented with a sequence of numbers and are asked to recall them immediately afterward. The length of the sequence is gradually increased until the participant can no longer recall the numbers accurately. The highest number of digits a participant can recall correctly in the sequence represents their STM capacity. This method allows researchers to quantify the amount of information individuals can hold in STM at any given time.

Question 15

What were the Key findings of Jacob’s research? A01

Answer 15

jacobs determined that the average capacity of STM for digits (numbers) is around 7+/-2

Question 16

How do the findings of Jacob’s study support the MSM? A03

Answer 16

Jacobs’ findings fit with the Multi-Store Model by showing that Short-Term Memory has a limited capacity (around 7 items) and that items at the start and end of a list are remembered better, supporting the idea of separate memory stores for short-term and long-term memory.

Question 17

How does Miller’s research support Jacob’s study? A03

Answer 17

Miller’s research agrees with Jacobs’ study by confirming that Short-Term Memory has a limited capacity, typically around 7 +/-2

Question 18

How did Baddeley’s study measure coding in STM and LTM? A01

Answer 18

In the STM condition, participants were presented with a list of acoustically similar words (e.g., man, mad, map) or acoustically dissimilar words (e.g., pit, cow, dog) to remember. After a short delay, they were asked to recall the words in any order.

In the LTM condition, participants were presented with a list of semantically similar words (e.g., big, large, huge) or semantically dissimilar words (e.g., hot, day, jump) to remember. After a longer delay, they were asked to recall the words in any order.

By comparing performance on similar versus dissimilar words in both STM and LTM conditions, Baddeley could assess whether coding in memory was primarily based on sound (acoustic coding) or meaning (semantic coding) in each memory system.

Question 19

What were the Key findings of Baddeley’s research? A01

Answer 19

Baddeley found that in Short-Term Memory, participants were better at recalling acoustically dissimilar words, suggesting they used acoustic coding. In Long-Term Memory, they were better at recalling semantically similar words, indicating semantic coding.

Question 20

How do the findings of Baddeley’s study support the MSM? A03

Answer 20

shows that Short-Term Memory relies more on sound (acoustic coding), while Long-Term Memory depends more on meaning (semantic coding), confirming the model’s idea of separate memory systems with distinct characteristics.

Question 21

How does the Case study of Clive Wearing support the MSM? A03

Answer 21

Clive Wearing’s case shows that his memory loss fits with the Multi-Store Model. He couldn’t form new memories but could remember things from before his brain injury. This supports the idea of separate memory systems and how certain memories depend on different parts of the brain.

Question 22

Why has some of the research into the Multi-store model been criticised for lacking external validity? A03

Answer 22

Some studies on the Multi-Store Model are criticized because they use tasks and settings that don’t mirror real-life memory situations. They might use simple tasks or artificial stimuli, which make it hard to apply the findings to everyday memory experiences.

Question 23

What is the evidence that LTM memory is not a unitary (single) store as the model suggests? A03

Answer 23

Research shows that long-term memory isn’t just one type of memory. There are different kinds, like remembering specific events (episodic memory), facts and knowledge (semantic memory), and skills (procedural memory). Studies also reveal that different parts of the brain handle different types of memory tasks, supporting the idea that long-term memory is made up of separate syste

Question 24

What evidence is there against the duration of STM e.g. when can STM last longer than 18 secs?

Answer 24

1. Rehearsal: If you actively repeat or rehearse information, you can keep it in STM for longer.
2. Chunking: Grouping information into meaningful chunks helps you remember more and maintain it in STM for extended periods.
3. Meaningful information: If the information has personal meaning or relevance to you, it’s more likely to stay in STM for longer than 18 seconds.

Question 25

Why might relying on case study evidence e.g. Clive Wearing, have its limitations?

Answer 25

Not representative: They focus on individual cases, so findings may not apply to everyone.

Subjective: Interpretations can be biased, as researchers’ perspectives influence analysis.

Lack of control: They lack the control of experiments, making it hard to establish cause-and-effect relationships.