Multi-store memory model

• Who came up with the multi-store memory model?

  Atkinson and Shiffrin (1968)
• The multi-store memory model:

  
• Types of coding in STM:

  • Visually
  • Acoustically
  • Semantically
• What is some research for coding in STM?

  Baddely - P’s given a list of acoustically similar words performed the worst, suggesting acoustic confusion in STM. Shows STM is coded acoustically
• What is the capacity of STM?

  Limited. Between 5 and 9 pieces of information
• What is some research for the capacity of STM?

  Jacobs (1887) - P’s given numbers to remember, adding a digit each time. Age and practice can influence their recollection
• What is some research for capacity for STM?

  Miller - chunking gives a digit span of 7+- 1
• What is the duration of STM?

  About 30 seconds. Can be extended through rehearsal
• What is some research for duration of STM?

  Peterson and Peterson - Ps given trigrams then asked to count down from a number in 3s to prevent rehearsal. After 18 seconds only 10% were recalled correctly
• What kind of coding usually happens in LTM?

  Semantic, a stronger level of coding
• What is some research for coding in LTM?

  Baddeley - Ps performed worst at recalling semantically similar words, showing semantic confusion in LTM. Suggests LTM is coded semantically
• What is the capacity of LTM?

  Unlimited, information can be lost only due to interference
• What is the duration of the LTM?

  Lifetime. Problems with LTM are due to access, not that the memory has gone
• What is some research into duration of LTM?

  Bahrick et al (1975) - memory for faces is long-lasting. 70% of Ps could still remember faces of classmates years later
• What is some research to support multiple stores?

  Murdock (1972) - serial position effect. Words at the beginning (primacy effect) and words at the end (recency effect) are remembered. Words in the middle are lost as they aren’t transferred to LTM through rehearsal, nor are they in the STM
• What are some strengths of the MSMM?

  • Influential
  • Supported by amnesia cases
  • Research supported
• What are some weaknesses of the MSMM?

  • Ignores processes, focuses on structure
  • Oversimplified, research suggests several types of STM and LTM
  • Most experiments are lab, so lack ecological validity