Memory: Multi-Store Model (inc. coding, capacity, duration)

Question 1

What is the multi-store model?

Answer 1

a theoretical model that shows how information flows through the memory system

Question 2

What is a theoretical model?

Answer 2

a model where you cannot see or directly measure

Question 3

What is the multi-store model made of?

Answer 3

3 stores linked by processing
- sensory register
- short term memory
- long term memory

Question 4

What is distinct about the multi-store model?

Answer 4

it is the first model to show STM and LTM as different stores

Question 5

What is coding in the context of memory?

Answer 5

the format in which information is stored
(how information enters a memory store)

Question 6

What is capacity in the context of memory?

Answer 6

how much information the memory store can contain

Question 7

What is duration in the context of memory?

Answer 7

how long information can be stored for in the memory store

Question 8

What does the sensory register do?

Answer 8

temporarily stores all the information the senses take in at one point in time (the senses are constantly receiving information)

Question 9

What are the two main stores of the sensory register and what do they do?

Answer 9

• iconic memory stores visual information and codes visually
• echoic memory stores audible information and codes audibly

Question 10

What is the coding of the sensory register?

Answer 10

modality free (can process info from any of the 5 senses)

Question 11

What is the capacity of the sensory register?

Answer 11

very large

Question 12

What is the duration of the sensory register?

Answer 12

less than a second

Question 13

Why is very little information in the sensory register passed into the rest of the memory system?

Answer 13

most of the information is not important and so not worth paying attention to

Question 14

How is information passed from the sensory register to STM?

Answer 14

if the person pays attention

Question 15

What is STM?

Answer 15

the temporary memory store that holds information used for immediate tasks such as copying a phone number

Question 16

What is the coding of STM?

Answer 16

acoustic (listening to what things sound like)

Question 17

What is the capacity of STM and what does this mean?

Answer 17

• 5-9 items
• this means its an active memory system as it is constantly changing

Question 18

What is the duration of STM?

Answer 18

up to approximately 18 seconds

Question 19

What is maintenance rehearsal?

Answer 19

constant repetition to keep information in STM

Question 20

How is information passed from STM to LTM?

Answer 20

prolonged repetition (by rehearsing/repeating information over and over again)

Question 21

What is LTM?

Answer 21

the permanent memory store for all the information you know

Question 22

What is the coding of LTM?

Answer 22

semantic (understanding the meaning of something)

Question 23

What is the capacity of LTM?

Answer 23

unlimited

Question 24

What is the duration of LTM?

Answer 24

unlimited

Question 25

How is information recalled from LTM and what is this process called?

Answer 25

information is transferred back to STM and this is called retrieval

Question 26

According to the MSM, are any of our memories recalled directly from LTM?

Answer 26

no

Question 27

What did Miller suggest about memory capacity?

Answer 27

- the capacity of STM = ±7 (Miller's magic number) - chunking helps increase STM's capacity

Question 28

What is chunking?

Answer 28

- grouping letters and numbers together into larger units to make them easier to remember - this increases the capacity of STM as each unit can be one of the 5-9 items

Question 29

Key research on coding:

Answer 29

Baddeley (1966)

Question 30

Key research on capacity:

Answer 30

Jacobs (1887)

Question 31

Key research on duration of STM:

Answer 31

Peterson and Peterson (1959)

Question 32

Key research on duration of LTM:

Answer 32

Bahrick et al (1975)

Question 33

What are we evaluating?

Answer 33

whether or not information flows through the memory system in the way the MSMoM says it does

Question 34

Support for MSMoM: Research Support - Baddeley

Answer 34

- research support from Baddeley: - we code differently in STM (acoustic) and LTM (semantic), thus suggesting they are two separate stores, supporting the model - count: low ecological validity, don't know for sure if STM and LTM code differently in real life

Question 35

Support for MSMoM: brain scans

Answer 35

- scientific evidence (brain scans) - the prefrontal cortex is active when a task involves using STM and the hippocampus is active when a task involves using LTM - brain activity occurs in different parts of the brain when using STM and LTM so suggests the stores are different, supporting the model - ext: brain scans are objective, valid, and reliable, which is particularly important because we cannot see or directly measure memory

Question 36

Weakness of MSMoM: role of rehearsal

Answer 36

- in the model, info is transferred from STM to LTM through rehearsal - however in real life, we do not always need to rehearse information that transfers to LTM (we just remember) - sometimes we cannot rehearse information and yet we can still remember them e.g. smells - this challenges the importance of rehearsal in memory and therefore challenges the MSMoM

Question 37

Weakness of MSMoM: issues with the model

Answer 37

- we can't see or directly measure cognitive processes like memory, making it difficult to find objective evidence, decreasing validity (we do not know if the model is right) - the model is too simplified and doesn't account for the different LTM stores (procedual, semantic, episodic) or the different STM stores (central executive, phonological loop, visuo-spatial sketchpad, episodic buffer)

Question 38

Weakness of MSMom: lab experiments

Answer 38

- most research support on the MSMoM are lab experiments - e.g. Baddeley - this means the ecological validity is low, as the setting and tasks are artificial - therefore we do not know for sure if information flows through the different stores in the same way as the studies concluded in real life