Outline and evaluate the multi-store model of memory

About this essay

The multi-store model of memory (MSM) was developed by Atkinson and Shiffrin in 1968 and explains how information flows from one storage system to another, with three permanent structures in memory: sensory memory (SM), short-term memory (STM) and long-term memory (LTM). It describes memory as something made up of a series of stores and these each differ in terms of their capacity, duration and encoding process.

Information is detected by the sense organs and enters the SM. If attended to, this information enters the STM for further processing.

If not attended to, the sensory information is immediately forgotten or not even processed in the first place. If the information has entered the STM, it is then transferred from the STM to the LTM for more permanent storage, however, only if that information is actively processed, mainly through rehearsal. If rehearsal does not occur, then the information is forgotten, lost from the STM through the processes of displacement or decay.

Critically, there have been many memory studies which provide evidence in support of the distinction between the STM and the LTM which the MSM describes.

Get quality help now
Bella Hamilton
Bella Hamilton
checked Verified writer

Proficient in: Memory

star star star star 5 (234)

“ Very organized ,I enjoyed and Loved every bit of our professional interaction ”

avatar avatar avatar
+84 relevant experts are online
Hire writer

For example, the HM case study, Milner (1966). HM suffered severe epilepsy and underwent brain surgery. The surgery left him with severe memory deficits, remembering little of his personal life or public events that occurred over the last 45 years. However, his STM remained intact and supports the model as it shows that the stores are unitary. Furthermore, the model has provided a foundation for later work and has been influential, generating much research into memory.

Get to Know The Price Estimate For Your Paper
Topic
Number of pages
Email Invalid email

By clicking “Check Writers’ Offers”, you agree to our terms of service and privacy policy. We’ll occasionally send you promo and account related email

"You must agree to out terms of services and privacy policy"
Write my paper

You won’t be charged yet!

Nevertheless, the model has been criticised for being oversimplified, in particular when it suggests that both the STM and LTM each operate in a single, uniform fashion. For example, the working model of memory (Baddeley and Hitch, 1974) shows that the STM is more than just one simple unitary store, composed of different components including the central executive and the visuo-spatial sketchpad. Moreover, the MSM provides a passive view of memory, neglecting the process elements of memory, not considering other factors such as oneʼs effort or strategies used in remembering information.

Cite this page

Outline and evaluate the multi-store model of memory. (2016, May 13). Retrieved from http://studymoose.com/outline-and-evaluate-the-multi-store-model-of-memory-essay

Outline and evaluate the multi-store model of memory
Live chat  with support 24/7

👋 Hi! I’m your smart assistant Amy!

Don’t know where to start? Type your requirements and I’ll connect you to an academic expert within 3 minutes.

get help with your assignment