The Multi-store model of memory
Atkinson and Shiffrin (1968) proposed the multi-store model.
- It is a linear model that shows how information flows through the processes of memory.
- There are three main components to the model and it is assumed that information must pass through each of these fixed stages to be remembered.
- There are capacity and duration limitations at each stage.
- It also identifies ways in which information is forgotten
A01 Outline:The multi-store of memory was proposed by Atkinson & Shiffrin (1968) it suggests that memory is a flow of information through a system. There are three distinct stages of the system; sensory memory, short term memory and long term memory, information passes through each stage of the system in a linear fashion (or fixed pattern).
External stimuli first enter the sensory memory in an uncoded form where they can be registered for very brief periods of time; in order for information to be passed into the short term memory store attention is vital. The short term memory stores approximately 7 +/-2 items in an acoustic code (we remember things by sound) for approximately 15-30 seconds. It is therefore easy to forget things at this stage, as information will be lost within 30 seconds unless it is repeated or rehearsed. Memories from this store are lost either because new information comes along and pushes the old information out (displacement), or because they simply fade away (decay).
However, if information is sufficiently well rehearsed, it is able to pass into the long term memory. In the long term memory store, an unlimited amount of information may stay for as long as a lifetime through semantic encoding. However, it may be forgotten because memory traces can decay, ‘new’ information causes confusion and interferes with the old information or particular cues within the environment are not available causing retrieval failure.
External stimuli first enter the sensory memory in an uncoded form where they can be registered for very brief periods of time; in order for information to be passed into the short term memory store attention is vital. The short term memory stores approximately 7 +/-2 items in an acoustic code (we remember things by sound) for approximately 15-30 seconds. It is therefore easy to forget things at this stage, as information will be lost within 30 seconds unless it is repeated or rehearsed. Memories from this store are lost either because new information comes along and pushes the old information out (displacement), or because they simply fade away (decay).
However, if information is sufficiently well rehearsed, it is able to pass into the long term memory. In the long term memory store, an unlimited amount of information may stay for as long as a lifetime through semantic encoding. However, it may be forgotten because memory traces can decay, ‘new’ information causes confusion and interferes with the old information or particular cues within the environment are not available causing retrieval failure.
Clive Wearing: A case study to support the Multi-store model of memory
Clive Wearing is a case study that demonstrates the multi-store model of memory.
Clive has an impaired Short term memory this is shown as he has a poor duration in STM of only 7 seconds. This is poorer than an average person as we can remember 18-30 seconds of information.
In addition to this Clive is unable to rehearse new information as he looses the sentence he is in and cannot remember the question when giving an answer.
Clive has not been able to transfer any new long term memories since his illness and hence always feels like he has just awoken from unconsciousness.
Furthermore Clive has difficulty retrieving his existing Long term memories as he is unable to distinguish between the tastes of foods. Interestingly however he is able to remember procedural memories.
This case study demonstrates how the Short-term memory and long term memory are different stores as one store is more impaired than the other illustrating that these therefore must be independent of one another.
Clive has an impaired Short term memory this is shown as he has a poor duration in STM of only 7 seconds. This is poorer than an average person as we can remember 18-30 seconds of information.
In addition to this Clive is unable to rehearse new information as he looses the sentence he is in and cannot remember the question when giving an answer.
Clive has not been able to transfer any new long term memories since his illness and hence always feels like he has just awoken from unconsciousness.
Furthermore Clive has difficulty retrieving his existing Long term memories as he is unable to distinguish between the tastes of foods. Interestingly however he is able to remember procedural memories.
This case study demonstrates how the Short-term memory and long term memory are different stores as one store is more impaired than the other illustrating that these therefore must be independent of one another.
A02: Empirical research to support the Multi-store model of memory
Glanzer and Cunitz (1966)
Aim: To see if they could find evidence for the existence of separate short term and long term memory stores.
Procedure: Participants were presented with a list of words, one at a time, and then asked to recall the words in any order (free recall). Participants were divided into 2 groups: Immediate recall group & Delayed recall group.
Findings:
Ppts in the immediate group remembered the first and last words best.
Ppts in the delayed group remembered the words at the beginning of the list.
Neither group recalled the words in the middle of the list.
Conclusion:
Both groups remembers the words from the start of the list because they were stored in the Long Term Memory.
Words at the end of the list were stored in the Short Term Memory.
When recall was delayed by a distractor task it prevented maintenance rehearsal and therefore affected the recency effect without changing the primacy effect.
This supports the idea that STM and LTM are separate stores because it shows that one can be changed without the other.
Evaluation:
Other researchers have suggested that the reason why information is remembered from the end of the list is because its most distinctive not because they are in a separate store (Crowder, 1993).
Aim: To see if they could find evidence for the existence of separate short term and long term memory stores.
Procedure: Participants were presented with a list of words, one at a time, and then asked to recall the words in any order (free recall). Participants were divided into 2 groups: Immediate recall group & Delayed recall group.
Findings:
Ppts in the immediate group remembered the first and last words best.
Ppts in the delayed group remembered the words at the beginning of the list.
Neither group recalled the words in the middle of the list.
Conclusion:
Both groups remembers the words from the start of the list because they were stored in the Long Term Memory.
Words at the end of the list were stored in the Short Term Memory.
When recall was delayed by a distractor task it prevented maintenance rehearsal and therefore affected the recency effect without changing the primacy effect.
This supports the idea that STM and LTM are separate stores because it shows that one can be changed without the other.
Evaluation:
Other researchers have suggested that the reason why information is remembered from the end of the list is because its most distinctive not because they are in a separate store (Crowder, 1993).
One weakness of the multi-store model of memory is that is too simplistic to explain the memory system. It fails to consider how people use strategies to remember.
A second weakness of the model is that it only focuses on the process. Only considers the amount of info that can be processed not the nature eg. Some things are easier to remember than others.
A third criticism of the model is that it suggests rote rehearsal is the only way to transfer thoughts from the STM to the LTM.
Is rote rehearsal the only way to transfer info from the STM to the LTM?
People learn new pieces of information without conscious rehearsal.
The STM may not be as Attkinson and Shriffrin (1968) suggested a unitary store that has a severely limited capacity.
A second weakness of the model is that it only focuses on the process. Only considers the amount of info that can be processed not the nature eg. Some things are easier to remember than others.
A third criticism of the model is that it suggests rote rehearsal is the only way to transfer thoughts from the STM to the LTM.
Is rote rehearsal the only way to transfer info from the STM to the LTM?
People learn new pieces of information without conscious rehearsal.
The STM may not be as Attkinson and Shriffrin (1968) suggested a unitary store that has a severely limited capacity.