Models of Memory

Models of Memory

1. LTM and STM

   • Duration
     • LTM
       • Field
       • Independent
       • 392 Graduates
       • Recalling faces/ photos
         • With names
           • 90% after 14 years, 60% after 47 years
         • Without names
           • less successful- 60% after 20 years, 20% after 47 years
       • Criticisms
         • +High ecological validity
         • +Used meaningful stimulus
         • -it is unclear whether accuracy drop is due to the 47 years or the decline of memory with age
     • STM
       • Lab
       • Repeated
       • Oppurtunity
       • Trigrams
         • MXT-591-3seconds, HSN-349-6seconds
           • 80% after 3seconds,10% after 18seconds
       • Criticisms
         • -Low ecological validity
         • +had a lot of control, no extraenuous variables
   • Capacity
     • LTM
       • Potentially Unlimited
     • STM
       • Lab
       • Repeated measures
       • Oppurtunity
       • Digit Span
         • 5-9 units
       • Criticisms
         • -Low ecological validity
         • +findings have been applied usefully to improving memory
           • Chunking-mobile numbers
   • Encoding
     • LTM
       • Lab
       • Repeated
       • Oppurtunity
       • # of words correctly recalled in order after 20mins
         • Confuses semantically similar words- encodes semantically
     • STM
       • Lab
       • Repeated
       • Oppurtunity
       • # of Words correctly recalled in order
         • Confused acoustically similar word- encodes acoustically
     • Criticisms
       • -Low ecological validity
       • -research has found that LTM can encode info from all senses, not just semantically

2. The Multi Store model of memory

   • Linear Model
   • Evaluation
     • Baddely
     • Peterson & Peterson
     • Case Studies: Clive Wearing
       • Lost his STM not able to recall info past 10/20 seconds. But could still recall info from long term memories- Separate stores.
     • Oversimplified
       • memories not always rehearsed- LTM. For example- emotionally charged events-such as flash bulb memories
     • LTM and STM not unitary stores
       • LTM-Made up of procedural memories, episodic memories and semantic memories
       • STM-Can process 2 types of data at same time- visual and acoustic

3. Working Memory Model

   • Central Executive
     • Directs attention to particular tasks, determining how the slave systems are allocated tasks.
     • Data arrives here from the senses or the LTM
     • Very Limited capacity, cannot attend to, too many things at once
   • Phonological Loop
     • Deals with auditory info
     • Phonological Store
       • Holds the word you hear like an inner ear
     • Articulatory Process
       • For word that are heard or seen , silently repeated like and inner voice
   • Visuo Spatial Sketchpad
     • Visual and Spatial info is temporarily stored here
       • Visual info is what things look like. Spatial info is the relationship between things
   • Episodic Buffer
     • General store, extra storage system
     • Integrates info from central executive, phonological loop and visual spatial sketchpad into the LTM
   • Evaluation
     • Ptp cannot easily complete 2 visual tasks at the same time, however visual and verbal tasks can be completed together
     • Case study, patient KF- STM complex store- different parts
     • PET scans show brain using different parts of the brain
     • Only concerned with the STM
     • Little is known about the central executive- not clear how it works
     • Many findings come from lab studies- lack mundane realism

Images and files in the map