Multi-store model

Multi-store model

1. Environmental stimuli --> Sensory memory --> STM (maintenance rehearsal) --> LTM (maintenance rehearsal)

   • <-- retrieval
   • Sensory register
     • Where information is held at each of the senses and the corresponding areas of the brain
     • Capacity is large
     • Constantly receiving information but most of this receives no attention and remains in the SR for very brief duration (milliseconds)
   • Attention
     • If a persons attention is focused on one of the sensory stores then the data is transferred to the STM
     • The first step in remembering something
   • STM
     • Info is held here for immediate tasks
       • Will decay quickly if not rehearsed
       • Info will disappear if new information enters pushing out (displacing) original info
   • LTM
     • Unlimited duration and capacity
       • If you have forgotten just means that didn't make memory permanent or just can't find it
   • Retrieval
     • Process of getting info from LTM passing through back into STM so its available for use

2. Evaluation

   • Supporting evidence
     • Controlled lab studies on capacity duration and coding support existence of separate short and long term stores
     • Brain scanning techniques also demonstrate this
       • Beardsley found that prefrontal cortex is active during STM tasks but not LTM
         • Squire found hippocampus active when LTM engaged
   • Case studies
     • Psychologists have found that different areas of the brain are involved in STM and LTM in studies of individuals with brain damage
       • HM
         • Hippocampus removed personality and intellect remained intact but couldn't form new LTMs
         • Could no longer transfer info from STM to LTM but could retrieve info from before surgery
   • Multi store model is too simple
     • MSM suggests both LTM and STM are single unitary stores but research does not support this
       • Isn't just difference in terms of capacity and duration but the type of memory stored there
         • eg maintenance rehearsal explains long term semantic but not episodic memory
   • Long term memory involves more than maintenance rehearsal
     • Can be created due to processing instead
       • Deep/elaborative processing
   • How separate are STM and LTM
     • STM relies on LTM and is not a separate store