PY4: TopicsMemory

The Multi-Store Model of Memory (MSM)

1. Models of memory – MSM, WMM, LOP

2. The role of emotion in memory

3. Explanations of forgetting

4. Explanations for disorders of memory

What will you study?

Three Sections

1) Controversies – debates in Psychology

2) Topics – 1 or 2 topics: Memory and Levels of Consciousness/ Sleep

3) Applications – 1 or 2 topics: Abnormal Psychology and Forensic Psychology

Total of 4 x 25 mark essay questions answered in 2.5 hours

Approx. 35 minutes per essay

PY4 Paper

See booklet for essay mark scheme

A model is a representation of something.

WJEC require that we explore three models of memory:

1. Multi-store Model of Memory2. Working Memory Model3. Levels of Processing Model

Models of memory

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OT3hyxShe_8

Horizon: How Does Your Memory Work?

Complete on page 1 of booklet

1. Where is memory stored?

2. The crucial link in the memory circuit is the h...............

3. At what age is our memory thought to be at its optimum?

4. Define autobiographical memory.

5. Why does John Forbes travel by train?

6. Why do neurologists think that the same part of the brain is used when remembering past memories and imagining the future?

7. Define ‘mental time travel’

Horizon documentary - Quiz

1. To describe the multi-store model of memory.

2. To briefly define the 3 memory stores which make up the multi-store model of memory.

3. To describe evidence to support/contradict (evaluate) the multi-store model of memory.

Learning objectives

Describe and evaluate the multi-store model of memory (25)

10 AO1 – Description

15 AO2 - Evaluation

Today’s exam focus…

Multi-Store Model of MemoryAtkinson & Shiffrin (1968)

Forgetting(displacement)

Forgetting(decay)

Multi-Store Model of MemoryKey Concepts

3 Memory Stores 3 key processes

Sensory memory – millisecond duration, very small capacity, multi-sensory encoding

Short term memory-15-30 second duration, capacity = 5-9 items, encoding is acoustic.

Long term memory – potentially infinite duration, capacity may also be unlimited, encoding is semantic.

Attention – directing the senses to receive information.

Maintenance rehearsal – repetition of information

Elaborative rehearsal – adding to original information e.g. making connections.

See pages 3 and 4 for additional notes

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1. The sensory store pays attention to all information it receives from the s_________.

2. In order for information to move from the sensory store to STM a____________ is needed.

3. The duration of STM is _______________.

4. The capacity of STM is _____ + / - _____ or __to ___ items.

5. The capacity of LTM is __________________.

6. Information in LTM is encoded _________.

7. The process of forgetting in sensory memory is called ________________.

8. Draw the MSM & correctly label it.

Checking your understanding

Evaluating the MSMSupporting researchContradictory researchEvaluation of methodology used in studiesStrengths and weaknesses of the model

 

Sperling’s experiment illustrated that information in the sensory store decays rapidly and that the duration is very short, therefore supporting the MSM.

1) The sensory store (Sperling 1960)

Stimulus material used by Sperling (1960)

7 1 V F high tone

X L 5 3 medium tone

B 4 W 7 low tone

You need a piece of paper and a pen.

Try memorising the words on the next 20 slides.

When I say so, write as many words as you can in any order.

2) Glanzer & Cunitz (1966)

CAT

SOUP

BUILDING

HOUSE

SHOE

TANK

UMBRELLA

TIGER

HOTEL

TINY

TREE

OPEN

YELLOW

WINDOW

SAW

HIPPO

TALENT

RAINBOW

RAT

LADY

Now write down as many words as you can remember in any order.

Based on our knowledge of STM and LTM, why do the primacy and recency effect occur?

The primacy effect occurs because the first words are the best rehearsed and transferred into LTM.

The recency effect occurs because these words are in STM when you start recalling the list.

See booklet for details page. 6 and 7

Highlight key terms

Evaluations of brain scans? Low ecological validity Objective, reliable

3. Areas of the brain associated with STM and LTM

Read and answer questions page 7 and 8.

4. Peterson & Peterson

Trigram:

3 letter nonsense letters

GHY

JPW

WKL

See page 8 in booklet

5. Hyde and Jenkins (1973)

6. Evidence from Amnesiacs

HM KF

HM (or Henry M) The classic case is that of H.M who at the

age of 27 underwent surgery in an attempt to cure his epilepsy apparently triggered by a cycling accident when he was nine.  A surgeon, William Scoville removed both his temporal lobes including a structure known as the hippocampus (Latin for sea horse) and an area known to be crucial to memory. 

Following the procedure HM was unable to create new long term memories (anterograde amnesia) and lost some of his existing LTM retrograde amnesia).  However his STM remained intact with a normal capacity and duration, limited only by his inability to rehearse. 

HM is still alive today, now in his early eighties and being cared for in a residential home in Connecticut (USA)

KF suffered brain damage from a motorcycle accident that damaged his short-term memory. LTM remained in tact.

KF could remember words if the objects were presented visually (images) but not if he was simply asked to recall a list of words.

KF's impairment was mainly for verbal information - his memory for visual information was largely unaffected.

See page 9 and 10 in booklet

7. Further strengths/ weaknesses

See hand-out for details

Essay Marking and Improvement

1. To describe the multi-store model of memory.

2. To briefly define the 3 memory stores which make up the multi-store model of memory.

3. To describe evidence to support/contradict (evaluate) the multi-store model of memory.

Learning objectives