7.5 Multistore Model of Memory

Definition

• The Multistore Model of Memory is a cognitive model proposed by Atkinson and Shiffrin in 1968.
  • Based on the idea that memory is composed of three main components:
    1. Sensory Memory
    2. Short-term Memory
    3. Long-term Memory
  • Information flows through these components in a linear manner.
• Sensory Memory
  • Briefly holds incoming sensory information.
  • Different sensory modalities have their own sensory registers.
  • Information is rapidly decayed unless attended to.
• Short-term Memory
  • Holds a limited amount of information for a short period of time (15-30 seconds).
  • Capacity limit is 7 ± 2 chunks of information.
  • Information can be rehearsed to maintain it in memory.
• Long-term Memory
  • Holds an unlimited amount of information for an indefinite period of time.
  • Information can be retrieved and brought into short-term memory when needed.
  • Includes two types of memory:
    1. Semantic Memory: memory for facts and concepts
    2. Episodic Memory: memory for personal experiences.

Historical background and theoretical foundations

• Atkinson and Shiffrin (1968)
  • Proposed the Multistore Model of Memory
  • Based on computer processing analogy
• Information processing approach
  • Compare human mind to a computer
  • Emphasize the role of encoding, storage, and retrieval processes in memory
• Structuralist psychology
  • Influenced the Multistore Model
  • Emphasized the importance of breaking down complex phenomena into simpler parts
• Behaviorist psychology
  • Emphasized the role of reinforcement and conditioning in learning and memory
  • Had limited influence on the Multistore Model
• Cognitive psychology
  • Emerged as a dominant paradigm in the 1970s
  • Emphasized the role of mental processes in information processing
  • Provided support for the Multistore Model through empirical research
• Later modifications and critiques of the Multistore Model
  • Working memory model
  • Levels of processing model
  • Critiques of capacity limitations and the role of attention in memory processes.

Advantages

• Simple and Intuitive
  • The model is easy to understand and has a clear structure.
  • It provides a straightforward explanation for how information is processed and stored in memory.
• Supported by Research
  • The model has received empirical support from a variety of studies, including studies on primacy and recency effects, capacity limitations of short-term memory, and serial position effects.
• Basis for Further Research
  • The model has served as a foundation for further research on memory processes, including the development of alternative models such as the Working Memory Model and the Levels of Processing Model.
• Clinical Applications
  • The model has important clinical implications, as it can help explain memory deficits in conditions such as amnesia and Alzheimer’s disease.

Critiques and Extensions of the Multistore Model

Alternative Models of Memory and Their Implications for the Multistore Model

• The Multistore Model of Memory has been subject to critiques and modifications over the years.
• Alternative models of memory have been proposed that challenge the assumptions of the Multistore Model.
  • Working Memory Model
  • Levels of Processing Model
• Working Memory Model
  • Proposed by Baddeley and Hitch in 1974.
  • Consists of multiple components that work together to support complex cognitive tasks:
    1. Central Executive
    2. Phonological Loop
    3. Visuospatial Sketchpad
    4. Episodic Buffer
  • Emphasizes the active processing and manipulation of information, rather than passive storage.
• Levels of Processing Model
  • Proposed by Craik and Lockhart in 1972.
  • Emphasizes the depth of processing as a determinant of memory.
  • Memory is thought to be a function of the level of processing that occurs during encoding, rather than a function of a fixed memory store.
  • Shallow processing (e.g. physical characteristics of a word) leads to poorer memory, while deep processing (e.g. meaning of a word) leads to better memory.
• Implications for the Multistore Model
  • Working Memory Model challenges the concept of a unitary short-term memory store, and emphasizes the importance of active processing and manipulation of information.
  • Levels of Processing Model challenges the assumption of fixed memory stores, and emphasizes the role of depth of processing in memory.

Limitations and critiques of the model, including the role of attention and motivation in memory processes

• While the Multistore Model has been influential in the field of memory research, it has also been subject to a number of critiques and limitations.
• Capacity Limitations
  • The capacity of short-term memory is limited to 7 ± 2 chunks of information.
  • However, the concept of a fixed capacity limit has been challenged by research suggesting that capacity can vary based on factors such as chunking and individual differences.
• Role of Attention
  • The Multistore Model does not explicitly account for the role of attention in memory processes.
  • However, research has shown that attention plays a crucial role in determining what information is processed and stored in memory.
• Motivation and Emotion
  • The Multistore Model does not account for the role of motivation and emotion in memory processes.
  • However, research has shown that motivation and emotion can have a significant impact on encoding, storage, and retrieval of information in memory.
• Rehearsal as the Primary Mechanism for Information Transfer
  • The Multistore Model places a heavy emphasis on rehearsal as the primary mechanism for transferring information from short-term memory to long-term memory.
  • However, research has suggested that other factors, such as meaningfulness and organization of information, can also play a role in the transfer of information to long-term memory.
• Serial Position Effects
  • The Multistore Model predicts that recall performance should be influenced by the position of an item in a list.
  • However, research has shown that both primacy (recall of items at the beginning of a list) and recency (recall of items at the end of a list) effects can occur, suggesting that the model may be oversimplified.

Extensions and modifications of the model, including the working memory model and the levels of processing model

• The Multistore Model has been extended and modified in a number of ways:
• Working Memory Model
  • The Working Memory Model proposes a more complex and dynamic model of short-term memory.
  • It includes a central executive that coordinates the activities of two slave systems, the phonological loop and the visuospatial sketchpad.
  • The model emphasizes the active processing of information in short-term memory, rather than just storage.
• Levels of Processing Model
  • The Levels of Processing Model proposes that memory is not a static process, but rather a dynamic one that involves continuous processing of information.
  • It emphasizes that the depth of processing of information, rather than the duration or repetition of exposure, is the most important factor in determining whether information is retained in memory.
  • The model includes three levels of processing: shallow, intermediate, and deep.
• Episodic Buffer
  • The Episodic Buffer is an extension of the Working Memory Model that integrates information from multiple sources into a single representation.
  • It serves as a temporary store that integrates information from the phonological loop, visuospatial sketchpad, and long-term memory.

Applications

• In Understanding Cognitive Development and Aging
  • Memory Development
    • The model has helped explain changes in memory capacity and function across the lifespan, such as the development of working memory capacity in childhood and declines in episodic memory in older adulthood.
  • Age-related Changes in Memory
    • The model has been used to investigate age-related changes in memory processes, such as declines in processing speed and attentional control, which can affect encoding, storage, and retrieval processes.
  • Interventions for Memory Improvement
    • The model has been applied in the development of interventions for memory improvement, such as mnemonic strategies and cognitive training programs, that target specific memory processes in order to enhance memory performance in both young and older adults.

• Education
  • The model has been used to develop instructional strategies that optimize learning and memory, such as chunking and elaboration techniques that facilitate encoding and retrieval of information.
• Eyewitness Testimony
  • The model has been used to inform investigations of eyewitness testimony, by helping to identify factors that can affect the accuracy and reliability of eyewitness memory, such as the effects of stress, leading questions, and post-event information.
• Memory Disorders
  • The model has been used to understand and treat memory disorders, such as amnesia and dementia, by identifying the specific memory processes that are affected and developing interventions that target these processes, such as memory rehabilitation programs that focus on improving encoding, storage, and retrieval processes.
• Implications of the Multistore Model for Designing Effective Memory Interventions and Technologies
  • Memory Strategies
    • The model suggests that specific memory strategies, such as elaboration and rehearsal, can enhance encoding, storage, and retrieval processes, and can be used to improve memory performance across the lifespan.
  • Cognitive Training
    • The model suggests that cognitive training programs that target specific memory processes, such as working memory or attentional control, can lead to improvements in memory performance in both young and older adults.
  • Technology-Based Interventions
    • The model suggests that technology-based interventions, such as computerized cognitive training programs and virtual reality-based memory rehabilitation, can provide targeted and adaptive training that can improve memory performance.
  • Personalized Interventions
    • The model suggests that personalized memory interventions that take into account individual differences in memory processes, such as the use of individualized memory profiles or cognitive assessments, can lead to more effective and efficient memory training.