Baddeley and Hitch used the term 'working memory' to refer to the part of the memory that is active or working. This could be as simple as playing a game, calculating sums or reading a sentence all of which are collecting data to be stored. The working memory model consists of three parts; these are the central executive, phonological loop and visuo-spatial sketchpad. The central executive controls attention and draws on the other two systems known as the 'slave systems'. The central executive has a limited capacity; in other words it cannot attend to too many things at once.
These components were so-called the Visuo-Spatial Sketchpad and the Phonological Loop. Baddeley and Hitch suggested that these two subsystems were governed by central controlling mechanism, which they termed the Central Executive. The Phonological Loop acts like an inner ear and operates like the loop of an audiotape. It can hold spoken information for about 1-2 seconds. Written words must be transferred into spoken words in order to enter the phonological loop.
Its input is from eyes or the LTM. The phonological loop consists of two sub- systems; the phonological store, “the inner ear”, which allows acoustically coded information to be stored for a brief period of time (about two seconds), and the articulatory control system, “the inner voice”, which helps maintain information by sub-vocal information. The phonological loop also has a limited capacity. In 2000, Baddeley introduced a new component to the WMM: the episodic buffer. Its purpose is to organize the information received from the other components with information about time and order.
Kahneman (as cited in Edgar, 2007) explains it in the limited capacity theory of attention. According to it, “the brain contains limited-capacity central processor responsible for analyzing incoming information and integrating it to information already held in memory” (Edgar, 2007, pp.11). Thus, when a person tries to do many things at once interference can occur if those things compete for the same pool of resources. However, Macleod (as cited in Edgar, 2007) showed that it is possible to do two things at once without interference. In his study, participants had to carry out a visual and an auditory task and respond to them by saying ‘bip’.
Discuss the value of the Multi Store Model of memory (12 marks) The MSM of memory consists of four main components: the Attention System (Sensory Store), the Short Term Store (often known as the working memory), the Rehearsal Loop and the Long Term Store. The Attention System filters incoming information. If this information is paid attention to, it gets transferred into the Short Term Store. However, if the information is not acknowledged it is lost/decays. The Rehearsal Loop allows the rehearsal of information resulting in it being transferred into either the Long Term Store, or due to maintenance rehearsal, the information will be able to stay stored in the Short Term Store.
12 marks The multi store model of memory was created by Atkinson and Shiffrin in 1968. Their findings showed that information first enters into the sensory memory which is very short lived. The sensory memory can be produced in two ways Iconic (visual) or Echoic (auditory). When the information has caught the attention of the brain it enters the short term memory which lasts for up to 20 seconds this was discovered in an experiment by Psychologist Peterson in 1959. In addition information in the short term memory store is encoded acoustically; this theory is supported by Conrad’s 1964 case study where an experiment was conducted that confirmed Atkinson and Shiffrin’s theory that the STM encodes information acoustically.
The strength of those pathways determines how quickly you recall the memory. To reinforce that initial memory, it must move multiple times across the nerve cells, retracing its steps. Memory formation largely occurs in the brain's limbic system, which regulates learning, memory and emotions. The cortex is the temporary storage place of short-term memories and the area where the brain puts the new
As far as coding is concerned, there are also differences between short term and long term memory; short term is acoustic and long term is semantic. The multi-store model of memory is the first attempt into explaining the way that memory works and has led to further research into memory being undertaken but this explanation of memory is overly simplistic due to its one way system of memory. Lab research to support the multi-store memory was carried out by Peterson and Peterson; in their study, participants were presented with a trigram consisting of 3 consonants which they were asked to recall in the correct order after a delay of 3,6,9,12,15 or 18 seconds. Rehearsal of the trigram was prevented by counting backwards in 3s from a random 3 digit number. The findings of Peterson and Peterson’s research were that after 18 seconds, fewer than 10% of the trigrams were remembered by the participants.
Each of the studies will also be supported by minor studies focusing on the same hypothesis. These experiments will allow me to evaluate the extent to which memory is a reliable cognitive process. Memory is a cognitive process since it is a mental process that can be studied scientifically (by using fMRI scanners) and the mental representation guide behaviour, since we are able to reflect and consider different aspects that will affect our behaviour. Memory is one of the most advanced systems in our mind, and it is able to contain thousands of small information, which we don’t really consider at first; for example we take it for granted that we are able to add and subtract numbers, even though it was a challenge when we were children. There are many different memory models, and the most famous ones are the MSM and LOP.
Introduction Since before written history, many different techniques have been used to enhance memory. One of the most prevalent of these techniques, known as mnemonics, was the Method of Loci (Yates, 1966). There were many different forms of this mnemonic, but all involved the use of an environment to aid in item-order recall. Many memory experts practiced a complex form of the Method of Loci where they would have extensive spatial and navigational knowledge of the environment and also be able to picture the blueprint of the environment (looking into the environment from a bird’s eye or omnipotent view). This allowed them to zoom in and focus in on specific portions of their chosen environment, using the complexity and spatial richness of the specific portion to associate with the ideas or items to be remembered.