TSR Wiki > Study Help > Subjects and Revision > Revision Notes > Psychology
Multi-store model of memory
PSYA1, AS level Psychology; cognitive memory. AQA spec A.
The Multi-store model provides an explanation of how memory processes work.
The model
- Information from any of the senses enter the sensory memory, where they are either forgotten about of enter into the short term memory.
- Once in the short term memory, rehearsal is needed to retain the information in the short term memory otherwise the information will be lost.
- If the information is rehearsed it will also help the information enter the long term memory where it could remain for anything between 2 and 100+ years.
- Memory is fragile meaning that it is easy for information to be lost.
Evaluation of the model
| Support
| Weaknesses
|
| Glanzer and Cunitz - their experiment on recalling words showed that the first words they are told could be rehearsed and placed in the LTM and the last group could enter the short term memory, while the words in the middle are forgotten.
| The model is too simple and inflexible. It also fails to take into account for techniques used to remember information
|
| Clive Wearing - Although clive can't remember anything from the short term he is still able to remember some things in his LTM, which suggests there must be separate areas of memory.
| The model suggests everything has to be rehearsed in order to enter our LTM, which isn't always the case.
|
Notes
