Psych Boost: Memory Unit Lecture Notes

Overview

• Topic: Memory Unit
• Coverage:
  • Models of memory
  • Types of long-term memory
  • Reasons for forgetting
  • Problems with eyewitness testimony
  • Improvements in police procedures for testimony
• Approach: Cognitive Psychology

Multi-Store Model (MSM)

Introduction

• Creators: Atkinson and Shiffrin (1968)
• Nature: Linear and passive
  • Information flows in one direction
  • Stores hold information
• Stores:
  • Sensory Register
  • Short-Term Memory (STM)
  • Long-Term Memory (LTM)

Key Features of Each Store

• Coding: Format of information storage
• Capacity: Amount of information that can be held
• Duration: Length of time information can be stored

Sensory Register

• Coding: Modality-specific (depends on sense organ)
• Capacity: Very large, possibly unlimited
• Duration: Very short (~250 milliseconds)

Short-Term Memory (STM)

• Coding: Acoustic
• Capacity: 7 items ±2
• Duration: 18-30 seconds
• Processes:
  • Attention: Moves information from Sensory Register to STM
  • Rehearsal: Maintenance (repetition) and Elaborative (linking to LTM)
  • Information loss via displacement or decay

Long-Term Memory (LTM)

• Coding: Semantic
• Capacity: Very large, potentially unlimited
• Duration: Very large, potentially unlimited
• Processes: Retrieval may depend on cues

Evaluation of Multi-Store Model

Supporting Research

• Glanzer (1966): Primacy-Recency Effect
  • Suggests separate STM and LTM processes
• Sperling's Study: Capacity of Sensory Register
  • Demonstrated large capacity through grid recall task
• Baddeley's Study: Coding in STM and LTM
  • Shows STM is acoustic, LTM is semantic
• Jacobs' Study: Capacity of STM
  • 7 ± 2 items; chunking can increase capacity
• Peterson & Peterson's Study: Duration of STM
  • Interference tasks showed duration between 18-30 seconds
• Wagner's Diary Study: Large capacity of LTM
• Bahrick's Study: Duration of LTM with long retention

Criticisms of MSM

• Artificiality in research methods; lacks ecological validity
• Artificial tasks lack mundane realism
• Inferences about memory processes may be incorrect
• Evolutionary theory supports large capacity, short duration of sensory register
• Simplicity of MSM; does not account for multiple types of memory
• Lacks face validity: LTM includes senses, STM capacity varies

Conclusion

• Future Topics: Types of long-term memory, further evaluation of memory models
• Resources: Additional videos and resources available for deeper understanding

• Note: Exploration of these topics continues in subsequent videos. Consider reviewing cognitive approach materials for foundational understanding.