The Multi-store Model

The specification states that you need to know about the multi-store model:

The multi-store model, including the concepts of encoding, capacity and duration. Strengths and weaknesses of this model.

Models are produced by psychologists to represent what is going on in the human mind. Cognitive psychologists often produce diagrams that claim to show mental processes. The first model of human memory showed the basic structure of memory and the main processes involved in remembering and forgetting. This is called the multi-store model of memory. It is called the multi-store model because it was based on evidence that suggested that there was a difference between STM and LTM in the length of time memories lasted, how much information can be stored in STM and LTM, and in what form memories were stored in STM and LTM.

Atkinson and Schiffrin (1968) looked at research on memory and suggested memory had three main memory stores: sensory memory, short-term memory, and long-term memory. They also argued that there were some basic mental processes that led to long term memory formation: attention, maintenance rehearsal, elaborative rehearsal and retrieval.

You need to be able to describe the multi-store model.

You need to describe research that supports the multi-store model. It is an accurate model of human memory.

You need to identify problems with the multi-store model and research that has led to changes in how psychologists think that memory is structured and how it works.

You also need to develop your understanding of research methods and the implications of specific research methods for the validity of the findings of psychological studies. You need to know that some psychologists have argued that a lot of memory research has been conducted in labs and has used meaningless stimuli such as digit strings and that this type of research may tell us little about how memory works in real life. This is linked to realism and validity.

You also need to know about an important research method used by psychologists: case studies.

The following reading and activities will help you to develop your knowledge and understanding of the multi-store model, criticisms of the validity of a lot of memory research, and case studies as a research method:

The multi-store model

Activity to help you to remember the multi-store model: rehearse

A case study of a brain damaged patient

Videos about clive wearing

How valid is research into human memory: can lab studies tell us everything about how memory really works?

Some psychologists have argued that rehearsal is not needed to form long lasting memories.