Memory

• Who created the multi-store model of memory?

  Atkinson and Shiffrin
• What are the three stages of memory?

  • sensory register
  • STM
  • LTM
• What is the multi-store model based off of?

  The belief that we process memory in the same way that a computer processes information.
• There are three variables that can be used to describe the stores that information passes through: 

  • coding
  • capacity
  • duration
• Where is stimuli processed in the multi-store model?

  In the sensory register
• What is the duration of the sensory register?

  up to a couple of seconds due to constantly being bombarded by sensory information
• If we view information processed in our sensory register as valuble what happens?

  It moves to the STM
• What is the capacity of the sensory register?

  Large
• What is the coding of the sensory register?

  Sense basis
• What is the duration of storage in the STM?

  Between 18-30 seconds.
• How can information be moved from the STM to the LTM?

  Via rehearsal - memory consolidation
• What is the capacity of the STM?


  Seven plus or minus two.
• • Some factors affect our STM. For example, numbers recall is better than letters, and acoustic coding tends to be better than visual coding.
• What is the coding of the STM?

  Primarily acoustic
• What is the capacity of the LTM?

  No limits.
• What is the duration of the LTM?

  Unlimited.
• What is the coding of the ltm?

  Semantic
• What are the two types of long term memory?

  Explicit

  Implicit
• What are explicit memories?

  Memories we consciously try to remember and recall.
• What are implicit memories?

  Memories that are not part of our consciousness, formed from behaviours.
• What can explicit memories be further split into?

  Episodic and semantic
• What is a procedural memory?

  A type of implicit memory that stores the knowledge of how to perform action.
• What did they find in the study that investigated whether the STM and LTM are different memory stores?

  • Participants remembered more words on average from the beginning
  • And the more from the end of the list than the middle. This is known as the serial position effect.
• Why could participants remember more words from the beginning of the list?

  Words transferred to ltm.

  Words at end still in stm.
• Strengths of the investigation of whether stm and ltm are different stores?

  • reliable
  • practical applications
• What were the limitations of the serial position effect study?

  Lacks ecological validity.
• What was milner investigating in the HM case study?

  Investigating antergograde amnesia.
• What were the results from the HM case study?

  • HM did have the ability to learn new motor skills so his procedural memory was intact. But he could not make new episodic or semantic memories. He had a working memory as he was able to hold conversations. His issue was that his STM and LTM were no longer connected.
• What conclusions were drawn from the HM case study?

  • Cases of brain damage, such as HM, support the distinction between LTM and STM.
  • Damage to the hippocampi destroys LTM and leaves patients trapped in a world of experiences which only last as long as their STM.
• • Chronic alcoholics sometimes develop Korsakoff’s syndrome, which causes brain damage.
  • However, it has little effect on STM, but severely impairs LTM. This suggests that STM and LTM are stored in different areas of the brain. This provides further evidence to support the multistore model of memory.
• What are the limitations of the MSM store of memory?

  • It is likely that there is more than one type of STM. Certain types of brain damage show deficits with different areas of STM. Similarly, LTM has more than one type.
  • What is rehearsal? The model states maintenance rehearsal as a way of practicing and maintaining memories.
  • It is unlikely that memory is linear.
• What does damage to the hippocampi do?

  Destroys LTM
• What did peterson and peterson study?

  to test the theory that information is quickly lost from short-term memory if its not rehearsed.
• Outline the procedure of peterson and peterson's study?

  • lab experiment
  • 24 students
  • recall random trigrams after time intervals
  • during intervals had to count backwards to prevent maintenance rehearsal.
• What were the results of peterson and peterson's study?

  • 3-second interval - participants recalled 80% correctly.
  • 6-second interval - participants recalled 50% correctly.
  • 18-second interval - participants recalled 10% correctly.
• What conclusions were drawn from peterson and peterson's study?

  • Our short-term memory has a limited duration when we can't rehearse information.
  • It's thought that decay (the automatic fading of memory that's not rehearsed) causes information loss from short-term memory.
• Pros of peterson and peterson's study?

  Good control of variables
• Cons of peterson and peterson's study?

  • low ecological validity
  • lacking stimulus variety.
• What was bahricks study of ltm?

   studied very long-term memory (VLTM) by testing the ability of people to recall the names of ex-classmates.
• What was the method of bahricks study?

  • 3 tests 392 participants
  • 15-48 yrs post grad
  • tests = free recall, photo recongition, name recognition