The Multi - Store Model of Memory
- MSM was proposed by Atikson and Shiffrin
- Information processing model of memory
- Information passes through different independent memory stores
- There are three stores: coding, capacity and duration
- Linear model: information is shown to flow through the system in one direction
Coding: how information is stored Capacity: how much information can be Duration: how long information can be stored
stored
Sensory Crowder (2003) - Different depending on store Sperling (1960) - Large Walsh & Thompson- 0.5 seconds
Register
LTM Baddeley (1966) - Semantic Linton (1975) - Unlimited Bahrik et al (1975) - long (more than 30 seconds)
, Coding Capacity Duration
Sensory - Visual information can be - Ps shown a grid of digits or letters for - Iconic (visual) sensory store has average duration
Register retained for a few milliseconds a 0.05 seconds of 500 milliseconds
- Auditory information can be - Asked to either write all 12 items or a - Duration decreases as individual gets older
retained for 2-3 seconds particular row when they heard a - Suggests duration of sensory memories is limited
- Supports that sensory information tone that represented a row and decreases with age
is coded into different stores - Whole thing = 5 items recalled (42%)
- One row = 3 items recalled (75%)
- SR remembers all items but as we
write them down we forget as
information decays rapidly
- SR has a large capacity
STM Aims: to investigate what type of coding Aim: to investigate to capacity of STM Aim: investigate duration of STM
is used in STM and LTM Method: laboratory Method: laboratory
Method: laboratory Procedure: ps were presented with Procedure: ps presented with nonsense trigrams
Procedure: ps were given four lists of sequence of digits They were asked to recall these letters after an interval of
words that were either Required to recall sequence immediately 3,6,9,12 or 15 seconds
1. Acoustically similar - sound after it was presented During the interval ps were asked to count down in 3s
similar (e.g. man, mat, mad) Length of sequence increased, starting with 4 from s number they were given (prevent maintenance
2. Acoustically dissimilar - doesn’t items and finishing with 10 rehearsal)
sound similar (e.g. pit, cow, bad) Findings: ps could remember approximately Findings: after 3 seconds - 90% accurate recall
3. Semantically similar - same 5-9 items in the digit span task before After 9 seconds - 20% accurate recall
meaning (e.g. big, large, huge) accuracy decreased After 18 seconds - 2% accurate recall
4. Semantically dissimilar - different Conclusion: STM capacity is limited (7+/- 2) Conclusion: as duration increased, percentage recall
meaning (e.g. good, hot,big) decreased
Words presented one at a time and each Suggests STM has duration of 18-30 seconds before it
ps was required to complete four trials. disappears
To test STM - recall immediately
LTM To test LTM - recall after 20 minutes - Linton spent 6 years creating a diary Aim: investigate duration of LTM
Findings: ps found it difficult to recall of 5,500 personal events Method: field experiment
acoustically similar when recalling - Tested herself on the recognition of Procedure: ps tested on memory of their classmates
immediately every event every month found she years after graduating
Ps found it difficult to recall semantically had excellent recall Recall was tested in two ways:
similar words after 20 minutes - Capacity of LTM is large 1. Recognise photos from yearbook
Conclusions: STM coded acoustically 2. Free recall: recall as many participants
LTM coded semantically Findings: photo recognition - ps tested within 15 years of
graduation (90% accurate recall)
Ps tested 48 years after graduation (70% accurate recall)
Free recall - 15 years (60% free recall)
48 years (30% free recall)
Conclusion: bahrick et al concluded that LTM could
potentially last forever
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