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Example Answers MSM

The multi-store model of memory proposes that memory consists of three separate stores - sensory memory, short-term memory, and long-term memory - which differ in duration, encoding, and capacity. Information is processed linearly, entering through sensory memory, then transferring to short-term memory if paid attention to, and only passing to long-term memory if rehearsed.

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124 views

Example Answers MSM

The multi-store model of memory proposes that memory consists of three separate stores - sensory memory, short-term memory, and long-term memory - which differ in duration, encoding, and capacity. Information is processed linearly, entering through sensory memory, then transferring to short-term memory if paid attention to, and only passing to long-term memory if rehearsed.

Uploaded by

Srnt Yyo
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as DOC, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Exampleanswersmultistoremodelofmemory

Outline and evaluate the multi-store model of memory. (12marks)

Answer One:AtkinsonandShiffrinsmultistoremodelsuggeststhatlongtermmemoryandshort
termmemoryarelikehypotheticalstoresofinformation.Theybelievethatmemoryhasthreestages;
sensorymemory,shorttermandlongtermmemory.Informationfirstenterssensorymemorywhereit
undergoesencodingandthentransferstoshorttermmemory.Oncethereitsrehearsedorverbally
repeatedinordertoundergofurtherencodingbeforebeingtransferredtolongtermmemory,otherwise
itwilldecay.

Abigaspectofthemodelwasrehearsal;informationcantreachlongtermmemoryunlessits
rehearsed.Themoreitsrehearsed,thelongerthememorywillbeasthetracebecomesstronger.

Themodelhasbeencriticisedaslackingecologicalvaliditybecausetheevidenceforthemodelcomes
mainlyfromlaboratorybasedexperimentsusingmeaninglessverbaldata.

Itsalsocriticisedasbeingsimplistic;themodelassumesthatbothshortandlongtermmemoryconsist
ofindividualstoresmadeupofonecomponenteach,butresearchintotheworkingmemorymodelhas
demonstratedthatshorttermmemorypossiblyconsistsofdifferentcomponents.

PetersonandPetersonsresearchsupportstheroleofrehearsal.Theyfoundthatwhengroupsof
participantswereaskedtorecallwordsfromalist,butwerepreventedfromrehearsingthembyhaving
tocountbackwardsinthrees,recalldroppedfrom80%afterathreesecondinterval,to20%afteran
eighteensecondinterval,suggestingthatrehearsalisnecessarytoembedinformationintheLTM.This
thereforeshowsastrengthofthemodelinitsviewsonrehearsal.(245words).

ExaminerscommentsNazmasfirstparagraphgivesanoutlineofthemodel,whichlackssomedetail,
butisgenerallyaccurate.AdescriptionofSTMandLTMwouldhavebeenagoodidea,aswouldhave
theroleofattention.Someofthematerialisrepeated,suchastheroleofrehearsal.Nazmabeginsher
evaluationwithapointaboutecologicalvalidityandalthoughthistermisnotfullyexplained,shedoes
relatewhyitcouldbeanissueforthemodel.Thesecondcriticalpointaboutthesimplicityofthe
modeliswellexplainedandherknowledgeoftheworkingmemorymodelisusedeffectivelyas
evaluationhere.Thefinalpointaboutrehearsalisclearlyexplainedandhasadecentdegreeof
elaboration.Overall,bothstrengthsandweaknesseshavebeenconsidered,areasonablecommentary
isevidentand
anarrowrangeofissueshasbeenconsideredingreaterdepth.
Marks:AO14/6+AO26/6=10/12

AnswerTwo:AtkinsonandShiffrindesignedthemultistoremodelofmemory.Theysaidthatsensory
stimulienteredthesensorymemoryfirstandwasheldforaverybriefperiod,about0.3ofasecond.
Afterthatitiscodedandentersshorttermmemoryandisstoredforashorttime.Itmaybelostdueto
displacementhere.Lateronitistransferredtolongtermmemorywhereitcanbelostduetodecay.
Itsstrengthisthatithasresearchsupport,forinstancestudiesofbraindamagedpatientsshowthat
somepeopleloseshorttermmemory,whilstotherslosetheirlongtermmemory.
AlimitationisthattheMultistoremodeldoesntshowthedifferencebetweenvisualandaudio
memory.Itsalsochallengedbythelevelsofprocessingmodel.(125words)

Examinerscomments:Gwensoutlineisaccurateandrelevant,butlacksdetail.Perhapsshecould
havediscussedtheprocessesinvolvedintransferofmaterialand/orsomeofthedetailsoftheseparate
stores,suchashowinformationiscoded.Gwenmakesafewevaluativepointsbasedonstrengthsand
weaknesses,butnoneofthemareveryclearlyelaboratedorformaneffectivecommentary.For
instanceshecouldhavegoneonandexplainedinwhatwaythelevelofprocessingapproach
challengesthemodelandmaybeprovidedsomeevidenceinsupportofthispoint.
Marks:4/6+3/6=7/12

Example three:Themultistoremodelofmemory,proposedbyAtkinsonandShiffrin,suggeststhat
memoryismadeupofthreeseparatestores;sensorymemory,shorttermmemoryandlongterm
memory.Thesestoresaredifferentintermsofduration(howlonginformationcanbestoredfor),
encoding(thewaythattheystoreinformation)andcapacity(theamountofinformationtheycanhold).
Forexample,STMhasadurationoflessthan30seconds,andisusuallyencodedacoustically(by
sound),whereasLTMhasanunlimitedcapacityandisusuallyencodingsemantically(bymeaning).
Althoughinformationinsensorymemoryisprocessedviathefivesenses,thismodelsuggeststhat
STMandLTMareunitarymeaningthatthereisonlyonetypeofSTMandonetypeofLTM.The
modelalsosaysthatinformationisprocessedthroughmemoryinalinearfashion;inotherwords,it
mustentermemorythroughthesensorystore,whereitmustbepaidattentiontoinordertobe
transferredtoSTM.InformationinSTMcanonlybepassedtoLTMifitisrehearsed.

Astrengthofthismodelisthatitwasthefirstmodelofmemoryandhasgeneratedalotoffurther
research.ThereisalsosupportfortheideathatSTMandLTMareseparatestores.Forexample,Clive
Wearingwasunabletomakenewshorttermmemoriesaftersufferingbraindamage,buthisLTMwas
largelyunaffected.

OnelimitationofthemodelisthatthecaseofCliveWearingdoesnotsupporttheideathatLTMis
unitarybecause,althoughheisunabletorememberfactsfromhisLTM(suchastheAlevelsubjects
hischildrentook),heisstillabletoplaythepiano.Thisshowsthattheremustbeatleasttwodifferent
typesofLTM.

AfurtherlimitationisthatthemodelsuggeststhatinformationcanonlybetransferredfromSTMto
LTMviarehearsal,butsometimesweareabletorememberinformationwehavenotrehearsed.For
example,iftheinformationisespeciallymeaningfultous.(309words)

How many marks would you give this example?

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