This document contains revision notes for the multi store model for AQA A level psychology for the topic of memory in paper 1. All content follows the AQA specification.
Atkinson & Shiffrin’s MSM describes how information flows through the memory system.
Memory is made up of 3 stores (sensory register, STM, LTM) linked by processing.
The Sensory Register
- Two main stores, iconic (visually coded) and echoic (acoustically coded).
- Material in the sensory register is brief; duration is less than 30 sec, capacity is high.
- Little of what passes through our sensory register passes into our memory system,
only if attention is paid to the stimulus will it pass through.
STM
- Limited capacity store, can contain a certain number of ‘things’ before forgetting.
- Capacity is in between 5 to 9 items of information.
- Coded acoustically, lasts 30 seconds unless rehearsed.
- Information stays in our STMs as long as we rehearse it. If we rehearse it long
enough, it passes into LTM.
LTM
- Permanent memory store.
- Capacity is unlimited and lasts years (Bahrick et al.).
- Codes information semantically.
- When recalling LTM, it has to be transferred back into the STM by a process called
retrieval.
- According to the MSM, no memories can be directly recalled from LTM.
HM
- Bicycle accident at 7, suffered epileptic seizures, referred for surgery at 27.
- Hippocampus was removed. Operation was successful in controlling seizures; parts
of his memory were destroyed. STM remained intact.
- Supports MSM, shows LTM and STM are two distinct stores.
- HM’s LTM was damaged and couldn’t form new memories - couldn’t transfer new
information into his LTM. HM learned simple motor skills.
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