Craik & Lockhart's levels of processing model

• Craik and Lockhart Model:

  • model put forward as a criticism of the multi store model
  • instead stores focuses on debt of processing
  • debt of processing influences memory retention

  information sent to the LTM and therefore remembered more if the information:

  • is considered
  • is understood
  • has meaning

  the deeper the information is processed, the longer the memory or memory trace will last
• Processing of verbal information:

  structural level - involves paying attention to what the words look like. (shallow level)

  phonetic level - involves processing the sound of words

  semantic level - considers the actual meaning of words (deep level)
• Shallow processing:

  • shorter lasting memories
  • occurs by recognising the physical or sensory features of a stimuli
  • structural and phonetic processing
  • maintenance rehearsal
  • results in a weak memory trace and only short term retention of information
• Deep processing:

  • longer lasting memories
  • occurs by understanding the meaning of the stimuli
  • Semantic processing (how the stimulus relates to previously stored stimuli and the importance of the skill)
  • elaborate rehearsal
  • results in a deep memory trace being formed and long term retention to aid performance
• Advantages:

  • effectively explains that if we understand some information we are more likely to remember it
  • explains well that the longer we have to consider and analyse information the more likely we are to remember it
• Disadvantages:

  • does not account for individual differences e.g those with more determination sometimes forget basic skills
  • difficult to describe what deep processing actually involves
  • the longer time it takes to process information does not always lead to better recall