Multi-Store Model of Multi-Store Model of MemoryMemory

By Charles Lok and Max Waldman

Atkinson and Schiffrin’s

Three Stages Of MemoryThree Stages Of Memory

• Sensory Memory• Short Term Memory• Long Term Memory

Sensory MemorySensory Memory

• Translates information taken in by our 5 senses into interpretable elements

• Duration of Memory: 1-2 Seconds

• Information is either relayed to short-term memory or lost forever

Short-Term MemoryShort-Term Memory

• Certain pieces of information from sensory memory are transferred into short-term memory

• Can hold ±7 pieces of information

• Duration: Approximately 30 seconds

• Information is transferred to long-term memory. Any information that is not is lost

Long-term memoryLong-term memory

• Where information is stored on a long-term basis

• Information is never lost; stored information can always be retrieved

• Extremely large capacity, could possibly be unlimited

In graph formIn graph form

StrengthsStrengths

• There is a great amount of evidence to support the claims made by the model

Evidence to support the different sections of memory

Evidence to support the importance of rehearsal

• Serves as a basis for the development of other models

Sperling Sensory Sperling Sensory MemoryMemory

• Aim: To investigate the capacity of iconic memory.

• Method: A three by four grid of numbers was flashed for 0.05 seconds. Followed by a high, medium or low pitched tone to indicate which row was to be recalled.

• Results: On average, the participants were able to recall 80% of the letters on the cued row.

• Conclusions: Since the participants didn't know which row was going to be called beforehand but still managed to recall it well, you can assume that at one time all of the information was held in the sensory memory. But it decayed very rapidly.

• Evaluation: The work by Sperling is the basis of the view that sensory memory stores are large but decay very rapidly. lasting 250 to 500 milliseconds.

Peterson and PetersonPeterson and Peterson

• Aim: Find out what the duration of STM is

• Method: Participants were shown a trigram (three letters e.g. FGL) and asked to recall it after varying times. In between seeing the trigram and recalling it, the participant did a distraction task to prevent them from rehearsing it and moving it to long term memory. This involved counting backwards in threes.

• Results: 80% recall after only 3 seconds. The recall reduced with time until only 10% after 18 seconds.

• Conclusion: If rehearsal is prevented then the information vanishes from STM after only a few seconds.

• Evaluation: Poor ecological validity since trigrams are an artificial thing to remember.

Further DevelopmentFurther Development

• Atkinson & Shiffrin later merged Sensory Atkinson & Shiffrin later merged Sensory memory and Short Term memory, creating memory and Short Term memory, creating something closer to Baddeley’s working something closer to Baddeley’s working memory.memory.

• Elaborated on rehearsal: effectiveness Elaborated on rehearsal: effectiveness affected by environmental constraints and affected by environmental constraints and past experience.past experience.

• They also later elaborated on various types They also later elaborated on various types of rehearsal, including maintenance of rehearsal, including maintenance rehearsal and elaborative rehearsal. rehearsal and elaborative rehearsal.

WeaknessesWeaknesses

• Argues that the only way to transfer memories into long-term memory is through several techniques such as rehearsal and coding.

• Focus too much on structure rather than the processes

• Looks more at how information is stored rather than at the resulting processes which affect behavior or the behavior that results from the storage of information

• Too simplistic and inflexible• Mechanistic and reductionist

But, most importantly!

This model of memory doesn’t explain how the storage or processing of information

affects behavior.

How does this compare to the Learning perspective?

Classical/Operant Classical/Operant ConditioningConditioning

• Pioneered by Ivan Pavlov and B.F Skinner

• Identifies the environment as the factor which shapes our personalities and behavior

• States that behavior can be altered by conditioning

• Two of the main elements of learning theory

SimilaritiesSimilarities

• Similar in terms of their weaknesses• Both are criticized for being too mechanistic• Both are criticized for being too inflexible and for

ignoring internal processes

DifferencesDifferences

• The major differences between the multi-store model of memory and the learning perspectives exist in which elements they propose as influences on behavior

• The learning perspective asserts that it is the environment which influences behavior

• The multi-store model of memory says that it is the result of the way that information is processed and stored

What about the psychodynamic approach?

Psychodynamic:Psychodynamic:

•Explores the motivation behind human behavior, whereas this model simply focuses on the processes within the mind•Argues that many types of behavior can come from within, or be a result of exterior, sometimes subliminal influences. The cognitive approach assumes that behavior can be explained as an output of the information processing system. This particular model doesn’t really explain behavior at all.

RecapRecap

• Comprised of 3 sections of memory: Sensory, Short term and Long term

• Criticized for being too simplistic and mechanistic and reductionist

• Linear

• Explains more about how information is processed rather than how it affects behavior

• Serves as the basis for some other models of memory

THE ENDTHE ENDFor now…For now…