Multi-store Model

Multi-store Model

1. Developed by Atkinson and Shiffrin (1968)

   • • Capacity
       • STM: 7±2 capacity; last no more than 30 seconds
       • LTM: Potentially unlimited capacity and can last forever
     • Two separate stores: LTM and STM

2. Strengths

   • Supports Case studies for brain damage
     • Clive Wearing
       • Suffered viral infection which attacked the hippocampus
     • K.F
       • Bike accident resulting damage to the back of the brain.
     • H,M
       • Parts of brain removed in operation to control epileptic fits.

3. Weaknesses

   • Oversimplifies how memory is stored and processed
   • Oversimplifies LTM
     • Clive Wearing shows LTM is not a single store. Can still play piano.
       • Lost episodic and semantic memory
       • LTM no longer thought to have single store
   • Oversimplifies STM
     • Not single store as shown by Working Memory Model
   • Eloborate rehearsal not only method to store LTM

4. Experiment

   • Glanzer and Cunitz (1966)
     • The Serial Position Effect (20 words)
     • Showed that giving participants a list of 20 words then ask them to recall what they remember they remember words from the beginning of the list and words from the end (Primacy and Recency effect.)
       • Primacy effect due to rehearsal leading to words transferred to LTM, Recency effect due to being stored in STM.

5. Validity

   • Relevant to some (semantic) but not all aspects of memory.
   • Participants mainly psychology students in universities aged 18-21, meaning they have different memories compared to other age groups.
     • All participants most likely to be above average intelligence
   • Lab experiment
     • Suffers threats from demand characteristics and experimenter bias even if participants aren't students
     • Easy to control the variables
   • Overall has arguable high validity

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