What is the multi-store explanation of memory processes? Unit 1 – Making sense of other people Topic 1 – Memory Lesson 1.

Multi Store Model Lesson Objectives: Understand the difference between sensory memory, short term and long term memory Know the distinction between encoding, storage and retrieval. Understand the multi store model and how it works Be able to describe a supporting study Highlight practical applications of this model and the advantages and disadvantages

Key terms. Encoding – Changing information so that it can be stored. Storage – Holding information in the memory system. Retrieval – Recovering information from storage. Multi store – the idea that information passes through a series of memory stores. Sensory store – Holds information received from the senses for a very short period of time. Short-term store- Holds approximately seven chunks of information for a limited amount of time. Long term store – Holds a vast amount of information for a very long period of time.

The flow of information in the memory. Memory is like the hard drive on your computer; meaning that there are 3 things that we need to do; Put information in (Data – Word documents etc). Keep the information until we need it (Save it!). Go back and get it! (reload the file). Putting the information into the computer is called ‘Encoding’. The information is stored in a way the computer will understand i.e. Binary. Keeping the information on the hard drive is called ‘storage’. Getting the information back out of storage when we need it is called ‘Retrieval’. This is exactly how your Brain memory operated – encoding, storing and retrieving information, some for a lifetime!

Multi-store memory. One explanation of memory is that it has more the one store – hence ‘Multi-store’. Starts with the information that arrives at our senses, this is briefly held in a part of the memory called the ‘sensory store’. This information can quickly fade if we don’t do something with it. This information is then passed to the short term memory for encoding (Acoustically or visually). This memory can only hold seven pieces or chunks of information. If the information isn't rehearsed it can be forgotten. New information can push out chunks of old information. If rehearsed the information can be then transferred to the Long term memory.

Multi Store Model DECAY DECAY INTERFERENCE DECAY DISPLACEMENT

How does it work? Information is received and hits our sensory store but only for a very short time. The sensory store picks up the information that we have paid attention to and it moves on to the short term memory This has limited capacity and duration.

Atkinson and Shiffrin (1968) Though information passes through a series of memory stores and each has different characteristics. We pay attention to some information that is registered by our senses Some information is lost through decay as we are not paying attention The incoming sensory information is passed into our short-term memory.

Atkinson and Shiffrin proposed that the memory traces in the STM are fragile and only last about 30 seconds unless they are repeated (rehearsed). Material that is rehearsed passes on to the LTM and can be stored there for a lifetime. Loss is possible through decay or interference (we will come back to this). Think about when you find out a phone number for a pizza, you have to keep repeating the number over and over until you dial it in the phone.

Capacity of STM Miller (1956) suggests that we can hold anything from 5 – 9 objects in our short term memory at any one time. It’s known as the magic number – 7 +/-2.

Experiment: Look at the words on the next slide, you will be asked to remember them after a short break.

Bottle Arm Flower Pencil Drum Garden Nail Rifle Snail Toilet Wand Paper Carpet Wedge Food Cart Reel Fish Square Rope Money Guitar Elephant Eyes Comet Brain Plan

Count backwards from 100 in 3’s out loud!

Brain Break!!

How many words can you recall?

Peterson and Peterson (1959) Aim: To see if rehearsal was necessary to hold information in the STM store. Method: Participants were given sets of 3 letters to remember (i.e. GYK, MTW), but were immediately asked to count backwards in 3’s out loud for different lengths of time. This was done to prevent rehearsal. Participants were then asked to recall the letters in the correct order. Results: Participants had forgotten virtually all the information after 18 seconds. Conclusion: We cannot hold information in the STM store unless we rehearse it.

Duration of STM It is thought that information can only stay in the STM for a short amount of time before it is forgotten This is usually about 15-30 seconds

If too many pieces of information are stored in the STM then displacement happens: This means the first piece of information stored in the STM is the first piece to be replaced when maximum capacity happens. If we don’t fill up our STM and we rehearse the information then it is moved into our LTM

30 long-term small short 7 rehearsed indefinitely transfer displaces Only a…………………… amount of information can be held in ……………..Term Memory: up to…. (+/- 2) items, so new information coming in pushes out (or…………………………) information already held in the short-tem memory. Information can only be held in Short Term Memory for up to about …………… seconds, but if it is …………………….. then it can transfer to our ……………………………memory. Once in the long term memory the information can remain………………………and can be retrieved for future use. However, just because we make an effort to ……………………… information into our long-term memory it does not always mean that we are successful in our efforts. 30 long-term small short 7 rehearsed indefinitely transfer displaces

STAGES SHORT TERM MEMORY LONG TERM MEMORY ENCODING Mainly acoustic (heard) or visual (seen) Acoustic or visual, by understanding the information CAPACITY Limited: 7 (+/- 2) items Unlimited DURATION Up to 30 seconds From minutes to years RETRIEVAL Only possible immediately Possible at any time, can use links with other material to retrieve, info may be different each time it is retrieved

Evaluation This model has been the basis of a large amount of research in memory Too simplistic to explain the whole memory system There is a lot of evidence to support the difference between STM and LTM Places too much emphasis on how much memory we can hold, not about what it all means (semantics)

Practical Applications This means that we can apply what we have learnt to every day life. How? Think about what the multi store model is suggesting about memory and how we use it. What can you think of in terms of your life where you have to use your memory? Maybe revision? How would you go about this in terms of the multi-store model of memory?

Exam style question for practical applications Use your knowledge of psychology to identify and briefly explain one practical application based on the multi-store model of memory. Practical applications; Car registration plates are no more than 7 figures. Post codes Pin numbers. Less likely to forget them – remember through repetition.

Thinking Questions….. Name the three stores in the Multi-store model of memory...... What do we need to do to information before it goes from the STM to the LTM? Who were the psychologists behind the Multi store model?

Further studies on Memory.

Murdock (1962) Aim: To provide evidence to support the multi-store explanation of the memory. Method: Participants had to learn a list of words presented one at a time for 2 seconds per word, and then recall the words in any order. Results: Words at the end of the list were recall first (know as recency effect). Words from the beginning of the list were also recall quite well (know as the primary effect), but the words in the middle were not recalled well at all. Conclusion: Provides evidence to support STM and LTM. Murdock claimed that the recency effect is evidence that the last few words were still in the STM, the primary effect is evidence that the first few words flowed into the LTM.