Multi Store Model Of Memory

Question 1

Who created the MSM and what is it - 4 features? (intro for essays)

Answer 1

Atkinson and Shiffrins MSM describes how info flows thru memory. It is a structural model stating the SR, STM and LTM are seperate unitary stores and info flows in a linear way.

Question 2

Summarise the how info passes thru MSM into LTM

Answer 2

stimulus from env - SR - depending on type of info it can go into iconic or echoic sensory store - attention - STM - maintenance rehearsal - LTM - recall = LTM to STM (retrieval)

Question 3

How does info pass through env into SR?

Answer 3

SR
- stimulus from env passes into SR
- has several stores for each of 5 senses, coding is modality specific
- two main stores are echoic which is auditory info + codes acoustically and iconic which is visual info + codes visually
- info has duration of less than a second and capacity of SR is high

Question 4

How does info pass from SR into STM?

Answer 4

STM
- passes thru if attention is paid, if not then info decays
- info is coded acoustically
- capacity is limited to 5-9 items
- duration is 18 - 30 sec unless rehearsed

Question 5

How does info pass from STM to LTM?

Answer 5

• if maintenance rehearsal of info occurs this inc length of time info is held in STM
• if info is rehearsed over a prolonged time, info passes into LTM
• LTM codes semantically
• capacity is potentially unlimited
• duration is potentially permanent + can last a lifetime
• info is recalled by transferring from LTM to STM by retrieval

Question 6

What are the three AO3 points to evaluate Atkinson and Shiffrins MSM?

Answer 6

RTS - clive wearing
Discussion - low pop val
weakness - too simplistic about unitary stores (patient KF)