Multi-Store Memory

• Who proposed the idea of the MSM

  Atkinson and Shiffrin 1968
• How does MSM describe memory?

  As having 3 separate stores.
• What were the stores MSM described the memory has?

  Sensory Register

  Short-Term Memory

  Long-Term Memory
• What does the Sensory Register do?

  It briefly holds sensory information.
• How is the Sensory Register coded?

  Modality specific.

  e.g. - Iconic for Visual

  e.g. - Echoic for Auditory
• What is the Capacity of the Sensory Register?

  Very Large
• What is the Duration of the Sensory Register?

  Milliseconds. Unless attended to
• What is the Short-Term memory?

  Temporary storage of incoming information.
• How is the STM coded?

  Acoustic
• What is the Capacity of the STM?

  7+/-2 Items
• What is the Duration of the STM?

  18 - 30 seconds
• What is the Long-Term memory?

  Permanent Store of Information
• How is LTM coded?

  Semantic
• What is the Capacity of the LTM?

  Unlimited
• What is the duration of LTM?

  Unlimited
• How does MSM state information gets from Sensory Information to the Sensory Register?

  Attention
• How does information get from LTM to STM according to MSM?

  Retrieval
• How does one get information from STM to LTM according MSM?

  Consolidation
• How does one keep information in the STM according to MSM?

  Rehearsal Loop
• Who are the Supporting Research for MSM?

  1. Jacobs 1887
  2. Miller 1956
  3. Peterson & Peterson 1959
  4. Bahrick 1975
  5. Baddeley 1966
• What did Jacob's find?

  The capacity of STM is around 9.3 digits / 7.3 letters
• What did Miller 1956 find?

  The capacity of STM is 7+\-2
• What did Peterson & Peterson found?

  The duration of STM is 18 seconds
• What did Bahrick found?

  LTM can last lifelong
• Good Evaluation points from MSM

  Case Study Support - HM is a good support as after his accident he could not transfer new information to LTM but STM remained intact.

  • This supports that there are separate memory stores.
• Good Evaluation points from MSM

  Research Support

  • Baddeley
  • Jacobs
  • Bahrick
• Weaknesses of MSM

  Oversimplification

  • MSM assumes that STM and LTM are unitary stores but research does suggest there are multiple types of LTM (Tulving 1985)

  Overemphasis on Rehearsal

  • Information can enter LTM without any rehearsal. Examples may be graduation, marriage