MSM

• the multi-store memory model was created by Atkinson and Shiffrin in 1968
• the MSM is based on the idea that info passes through separate stores
• sensory information from an environment is automatically passed into the sensory register
• the sensory register has a separate store for each sense
• if the information from the sensory memory is paid attention to, it is passed along to the STM
• SM:

  coding = a separate store for each sense

  capacity = each part has a large capacity due to the constant flow of info

  duration = limited duration, roughly 1 second
• SM: Sperling 1960

  participants had to recall letters from a 3x4 grid

  only around 4 letters could be recalled but they remembered there were more letters on the screen

  shows a large capacity but short duration

  he then delayed when they had to recall

  50% was available after 0.3 secs and 33% after 1 sec

  the longer the delay, the more info was lost showing short duration

  LABARATORY EXPERIMENT
• the short-term memory is a temporary store for info, memories are either actively processed or forgotten
• STM:

  coding = usually acoustically

  capacity = limited, can hold a small amount of info

  duration = max 30 secs without repitition
• STM CODING: Baddeley 1966

  participants had to remember word lists that were acoustically similar or semantically similar

  acoustically similar words had poor recall compared to semantically, showing that the STM relies on acoustic coding
• STM CAPACITY: Jacobs 1887

  serial digit span test

  limited capacity of 5-9 digits

  capacity for letters is smaller than for numbers

  capacity increases with age

  LAB EXPERIMENT
• STM DURATION: Peterson + Peterson 1959

  asked participants to remember lists of trigrams with interference tasks to prevent rehearsal of them

  90% were recalled after 3 seconds

  5% after 18 seconds

  duration = 20 - 30 seconds
• long - term memory is a permanent memory store
• LTM:

  coding = semantically

  capacity = unlimited

  duration = forever
• LTM CODING: Baddeley 1996

  participants recalled word lists from the LTM

  one word list with words acoustically similar words and another with semantically similar words

  semantically similar words had poorer recall showing the LTM relies on semantic coding
• LTM CAPACITY: Huang 1997

  tested his memory of 560 of his own past students from over 2 decades

  he was showed pictures and recognised correctly over 80% of his past students
• LTM DURATION: Bahrick 1984

  tested recall of spanish as a second language in people who had not spoke it for up to 50 years

  there was a rapid decline in recall after the first 3 years

  after 3 years, the decline was minimal
• THE MSM:

  differences in coding, capacity and duration for each store supports the model

  it shows that stores are distinct and separate
• MSM: Wiswede et al 2007

  showed brain scans that support the MSM

  showed different parts of the brain were active during primary - recency tasks
• MSM: Murdock 1962

  the primary - recency effect

  showed the beginning and end of lists had better recall

  this shows the STM and LTM are separate and distinct