Multi-Store Model

• Define coding

  how info is stored
• LTM characteristics

  permanent, semantic coding, unlimited capacity and duration
• SR characteristics

  coding- modality specific

  capacity- very large

  duration 0.5-3 secs
• STM characteristics

  coding- acoustic

  capacity- 7 +/- 2

  duration- 18- 30 secs
• Multistore Model of Memory describes which stores?

  Sensory Register, Long Term Memory, Short Term Memory
• Coding of SR study?

  
  

  iconic store + echoic store can hold 0.5-3 secs of info

  SR is modality specific
• Capacity of SR

  
  

  flashed a 3x4 letter grid up and asked ppts to recall 1 row

  recall was high suggests capacity is large
• Duration of SR

  
  

  iconic store average 0.5 secs
• Coding of STM

  Baddeley 1966

  gave ppts list of words- acoustically similar, acoustically dissimilar, semantically similar, semantically dissimilar

  recall was worse with acoustically similar

  shows coding is acoustic
• Capacity of STM

  Miller 1956

  immediate digit span test

  could remember 7+/-2 bits of info
• Duration of STM

  
  

  trigram + 3 digit number, asked to count back in 3s from number, stopped after amount of time (retention interval)

  3s=80%

  18s=5%
• Coding of LTM

  Baddeley 1966

  -given 20 mins to rehearse

  semantically similar performed worst
• Capacity of LTM

  Linton 1975

  kept a diary and associated it with a word a day

  could recall a days events with 70% even 7 years later
• Duration of LTM

  asked to recall graduating class through either free name recall or 50 photo test

  -15 years= 90% on photos, 60% in free name recall

  -48 years-70% in photos 30% in free name recall
• The multistore model was proposed by Atkinson and Shiffrin
• one strength of the MSM is there is research evidence such as Baddeley 1966 regarding the coding of STM.
• One limitation of the MSM is the amnesia patient KF had poor memory for verbal information but almost perfect for visual information. This criticises the MSM for being too simple
• Another limitation is prolonged rehearsal is not needed for info to transfer to LTM as it says in MSM. Elaborative rehearsal is- where you link info to existing knowledge