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The Multi-store model of memory (Shallice and Warington's case study…
The Multi-store model of memory
Atkinson and Shriffin proposed the multi-store model
This model demonstrates how information flows through the memory system. Atkinson and Shriffin implied this model was composed of three stores linked by processing.
Components of the multi-store model
Store 1: Sensory register
Any information from the environment will enter the sensory register.
Each of our five senses has a store in the sensory register
There are two main parts of the sensory register:
Echonic- Acoustic information
Iconic- Visual information
Has a duration of less than half a second so information must be passed to another store to prevent the information from being forgotten.
Has a large capacity as each of our five senses had over one million cells in the sensory register.
Paying attention to information in the sensory register results in information entering deeper into the memory store.
Store 2: Short term memory (STM)
This has a capacity of 7±2 items
Codes information acoustically
Has a duration of between 18 and 30 seconds
Rehearsal of information allows it to pass from the short term memory and into the long term memory.
Store 3: Long term memory (LTM)
The capacity of long term memory is unlimited
Codes information semantically
To recall information it must be passed from the long term memory and back into the short term memory.
Shallice and Warington's case study into KF
KF had been diagnosed with amnesia
His recall for digits was poor when digits were read out to him but they improved when he was given the opportunity to read these himself.
This acts as a challenge to the multi-store model of memory as this original model proposes that the short term is one unitary store. Evidence from KF does however imply that STM is composed of more than one store as his recall was much poorer when digits were read to him compared to when he read these to himself.
We cannot necessarily rely on evidence proposed by Shallice and Warrington because they only completed a case study into one patient with amnesia, therefore causing the population validity and generalisability to be extremely limited.
'The man with no memory'- HM
This case study supports the multi-store model of memory as he was able to do short term memory but struggled with long term memory. This therefore suggests that STM and LTM are two independent unitary stores located in separate parts of the brain.
Counter argument:
LTM could potentially be composed of two or more stores, not just one unitary store. Evidence which supports this includes the fact that KF struggled to form memories but had the ability to perform motor skills.
AO3: Evaluation
Strength:
Baddeley's research into coding supported the idea that long term memory is coded semantically and short term memory is coded acoustically, therefore supporting the idea that they are separate stores.
Weakness:
Clive Wearing is a patient who has one of the worst cases of amnesia in the world with only a 7 second memory. Although he could remember how to play the piano, he could not recall any of his musical education. Also, he was aware that he had children, but could not remember their names. This implies that the multi-store model is reductionist as it would make logical sense for the long term memory to be more than one store.
Counter argument:
This lacks population validity because it is only the case study of one individual, therefore resulting in a lack of generalisability.
Weakness:
The majority of research into the multi-store model required the use of artificial stimuli, such as letters and digits. This lacks meaning to participants, therefore resulting in the real life application being limited.
Counter argument:
This allows the procedure to be standardised, making replication easier (higher reliability)