Memory Evaluation

Question 1

Multistore Model of Memory
-Strength

Answer 1

-There is supporting evidence of separate stores.
-This tells us that there are distinct areas of the brain linked to different types of memory.
-Therefore supporting the notion of different memory stores such as short term and long term memory, as the multistore model of memory predicts.

Question 2

Multistore Model of Memory
-Strength

Answer 2

-Supporting Evidence comes from case studies - HM was unable to form new LTM but still had a functional STM, thus supporting the notion of 2 distinct memory stores - STM & LTM - as the MSM suggested.

Question 3

Multistore Model of Memory
-Limitation

Answer 3

-The MSM has been criticised for being too simplistic - KF’s STM forgetting was much greater than that of visual stimuli - in addition his auditory problems were limited to verbal material such as letters and digits but not meaningful sounds - e.g. phone ringing.

Question 4

Research into Capacity
-Limitation

Answer 4

-Over-estimation of the true capacity.
-STM is likely to be limited to about four chunks.

Question 5

Research into Duration
-Limitation

Answer 5

-STM results may be due to displacement not decay.
-The counting tasks may have displaced the memory of the syllable - Reitman used a task where they had to detect auditory tones in white noise instead of counting which prevents displacement the tones don’t interfere with verbal rehearsal and found the duration of STM was longer.
-The findings may therefore be underestimating the duration of STM.

Question 6

Research into Coding
-Limitation

Answer 6

-One psychologist found that when participants were given a visual task and prevented from using verbal rehearsal they were able to perform well on a visual recall task.
-Normally the visual images would be translated into verbal code in the STM but the lack of verbal rehearsal prevented this - meaning ppts would of had to use visual codes.

Question 7

Working Memory Model
-Strength

Answer 7

-Evidence for the phonological loop and articulatory process.
-The phonological loop explains the word-length effect- people cope better with short words than long words in STM.
-However, the word length effect disappears when the person is given an articulatory suppression component.
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