evaluation

• • One strength of the msm is that it has supporting experimental research.
  • For example Glanzer and Cunitz experimented the distinct stores within memory by getting participants to learn a list of 10 words with varying lengths. They remembered more the first words (primacy effect) and more of the last words (recency effect) than the middle words due to serial positioning.
  • This means that the 3 components of the MSM are different, the STM and LTM are unitary and independent.
  • This shows the the MSM makes valid suggestions about the function of memory.
• • One strength of the MSM is that it has supporting case studies.
  • H.M's amnesia was the result of his surgery to alleviate the symptoms of his amnesia. The surgery involved removing large portions of his temporal lobe from both hemispheres. This alleviated his symptoms but had serious consequences on his memories.
  • He was unable to recall memories from his LTM and was unable to create new long term memories but his STM's capacity and duration was unaffected.
• • One limitation of the MSM is that the studies are criticised for their methodology.
  • These studies lack ecological validity and mundane realism.
  • This is because it involves meaningless stimuli. For example Peterson and Petersons research involved participants learning a meaningless trigram to test memory in an artificial controlled environment which is unnatural as to how people recall memories in real life.
  • This means that the MSM is invalid as it doesn't explain how memory works in real life.
• • One limitation of the MSM is that it lacks the core features of a science.
  • Case studies focus on one individual amnesiac who usually has brain damage. We are unable to remember such unique circumstances so cases of amnesiacs may be unrepresentative of how memory functions in real life.
  • This means the MSM may not provide a reliable explanation of memory.
• 2 strengths of the MSM

  • supporting experimental research (Glanzer & Cunitz- distinct)
  • Supporting Case studies (H.M's amnesia)
• 2 limitations of the MSM

  • lacks core features of a science
  • methodology (ecological validity and mundane realism+ Peterson and Peterson)