Describe And Evaluate The Multi-Store Model Of Memory

DESCRIBE AND EVALUATE THE MULTI-STORE MODEL OF MEMORY (25 MARKS)

The multi- store model of memory is an explanation to how memory processes work, we hear, see and feel many things but only a small number are remembered, the model was first introduced by Atkinson and Shiffrin in (1968), whereby they explained tat the multi-store model of memory has 3 stages which is sensory memory, short-term memory and long-term memory, this information processing approach to Cognitive Psychology, describes the mental functions which occur between stimulus and response, it is based upon the model of the mind as a computer.

Unprocessed data enters the sensory memory from external reality through the sense organs and is encoded into a ‘mind-friendly’ format,
Sperling (1960) showed that the sensory information store has limited capacity, so our attention processes are important in determining what passes onto the short-term memory.

In addition, information selected for further processing passes from the sensory memory store into the short-term memory, it is thought that the short-term memory holds information in the form of images, sounds or meanings, information in the short-term memory is kept alive by continual rehearsal of it, an example study for the life-span of the short-term memory was conducted by Peterson and Peterson (1959) in which they gave participants a constant trigram to remember and then a large number.
To prevent rehearsal, they counted backwards in threes from the number and then recalled the trigram. Participants were unable to recall the trigram at all after 18-30 seconds indicating that this is was the life span of items in the short-term
memory.

Long term memory is thought to have an unlimited capacity to retain information, it can hold material for long periods of time, coding of information is mainly semantic within the long term store. As the material flows through the stores, it becomes more abstract and compressed. An implication is that anything that can be remembered has been coded up in the long term memory. Tulving (1985) suggested the useful distinction between 3 components of the long-term memory, the first being the semantic memory which stores concepts and ideas, secondly, the episodic memory which contains memories of events that have occurred and lastly, procedural memory which is concerned with skills and ‘know-how’ knowledge

The first criticism, challenge to the multistore model was from Craik and Lockhart.
The evidence which they collected through their experiment was clearly to refute the approach by the multistore model of memory regarding the predominant view of fixed memory stores. The evidence gathered to refute the view of fixed permanent stores was, with the help of a sachitoscope they tested the effect of depth of processing on memory by giving subjects words with questions which required different levels of processing. However the text mentioned by Craik and Tulving was the empirical evidence to support their alternative model of memory processing. The methodology used for this particular study by Craik and Lockhart was a laboratory experiment. However, one weakness of a laboratory experiment is regarding its representativeness. This study was low in mundane realism, as it did not reflect a real everyday life
situation.

However, another case study on HM and Clive Wearing has been done in order to provide evidence for the distinction between short term memory and long term memory.Clive wearing suffered a brain damage on a part of hippocampus, resulted in Wearing unable to transfer information from short term memory to long term memory. However this is a case study which is about unique behaviour, and this place limitation on generalising. But on the other hand, it provides valuable insight into the structure of memory systems. Another strength of this case study is that it enabled to distinguish between short term memory and long term memory. Another strength is that it provided a clear insight into the different component of the memory.

Another alternative model which can be used in order to refute the multistore model of memory is one of the working memory model proposed by Baddeley and Hitch. The evidence to support the working memory model came through an experiment through the usage of concurrent tasks, if one task interferes the other they are probably using the same component. Therefore strength of the working memory model is that it provides a more thorough explanation of storage and processing than the multistore model’s of short term memory. Another strength of the working memory model is that it can be applied to reading, mental arithmetic and verbal reasoning. But a weakness of the working memory model is that the nature and role of the central executive is still unclear.

One strength of the multistore model of memory is that it has enabled experiments into aspects of memory to take place. But one weakness of the multi store model of memory is that information processing approach is only a metaphor for memory. People tend to forget, however computers do not. People ignore available information, computers do not. Another weakness of multistore model of memory according to Baddeley and Hitch is that short term memory is too simplistic, they thought that short term memory was not a passive store, but several active processes manipulate information.