MSM of memory Flashcards
What is a strength of the MSM?
It is supported by research studies that show that STM and LTM are separate unitary stores.
What did Baddeley find in regards to the MSM?
He found that participants mixed up words that sound similar when using their STM but mixed up words that have similiar meanings when using their LTM.
What does Baddeley’s findings suggest?
Suggests that coding in the STM is acoustic and coding in LTM is semantic - supporting the view that they are separate stores
Who conducted RTS?
Atkinson and Shiffrin using a case study from Clive Wearing
What does Clive Wearing suffer from?
Amnesia in which he cannot transfer information from his STM to his LTM, which is evident as when his wife re-enters the room after leaving just seconds before, he greets her as if is the first time he has seen her in years.
Why does Clive’s study support the MSM?
Shows that the STM and LTM are separate stores, and that information must flow through in a linear way.
What is a limitation of using a case study?
It has low population validity
What does a case study make it difficult to do?
It is difficult to generalise the findings to the wider population as their memory may operate differently, thus limiting the support that the case study provides
What could the MSM be argued to be?
Too simplistic
Why could the MSM be seen to be too simplistic?
Shallice and Warrington conducted research on patient KF, who suffered from amnesia, and found that his recall in STM for digits was very poor when the digits were read aloud to him, but recall was better when he could see them.
What does the research on patient KF suggest about the MSM?
Suggests that there must be different stores in the STM, one to process visual information and one for auditory information - casting doubt on the theory’s assumption
