1. Unit 1: Cognitive Psychology (Memory)
L/O: to be able to outline the Multi-store model
of memory with some evidence for its processes.
• Cognitive Psychology aims to understand
behaviour by our mental processes.
• In Unit One, we study HUMAN MEMORY.
Learning is the process of acquiring new
information.
Memory is the persistence of learning that can be
accessed at a later time.

2. The Multi-Store Model of Memory
(Atkinson and Shiffrin, 1968)
• First attempt to explain making a memory like
the one you just tried.
• Formulated a structure for memory.
• 3 components: CAPACITY: amount that can be
held in STM (Jacobs, 1890;
Miller, 1956)
decay
Short-term Long-term
Sensory memory memory memory
ENCODING: changing info to a
memorable format = sound
(Conrad, 1964).
DURATION: how long it can be held in
STM (Peterson & Peterson, 1959).

3. • What was the difference in the two tasks?
• Was your memory better for the first 5 or the
second 5 items?
Attention!
Why would that make memory better?

4. Eye-conic!
• Echoic memories go
into the echoic store.
• Sound memories.
• Iconic memories go
into the iconic Decay time = several
store. seconds.
• Sight memories.
Decay time = ½ a
second. Hear an
echo-ic!

5. The Multi-Store Model of Memory
(Atkinson and Shiffrin, 1968)
We get bombarded with sensory information all day long.
Our attention mechanism selects some of the information. The
rest is decayed – lost.
CAPACITY: amount that can be
held in STM (Jacobs, 1890;
Miller, 1956)
decay
Short-term Long-term
Sensory memory memory memory
ENCODING: changing info to a
memorable format = sound
(Conrad, 1964).
DURATION: how long it can be held in
STM (Peterson & Peterson, 1959).

6. Research associated with MSM
Short-term Memory STM:
• Conrad (1964) pg. 62
• Jacobs (1890) pg. 63
• Peterson & Peterson (1959) pg. 64
Take notes on:
Long-term Memory LTM: • What they wanted to
test (aim/hypothesis).
• Bahrick et al (1975) pg. 67 • What they did.
• Who took part.
• What they found.

7. Friday 21st September 2012
Sharing notes on the research for
MSM.
• You have detailed notes on one or two of the four
studies.
• Group together with people who have taken
notes on different studies.
= all have notes on all four.
*try to use your research methods knowledge
and terminology when presenting*
(e.g. participants, population, sample)

8. Short-term Memory STM
1. Get definitions for these terms.
Which studies are evidence for which?
• Capacity: Which study?
Peterson & Peterson (1959)
• Encoding: Jacobs (1890)
Conrad (1964)
• Duration:
Which does Bahrick’s study provide evidence for? (in LTM)

9. Semantic Memory
• Semantic = meaning.
• Acoustic = sound.
For example:
Chair vs. table
Chair vs. stair

10. Come up with a semantically related
word to help you to remember these
symbols.

11. L/O: to be able to outline the Multi-
store model of memory with some
evidence for its processes.
Can you?
• Example exam question:
Outline the Multi-store Model of memory
(4 marks)

12. Evaluation of the Multi-store Model of Memory
L/O: to be able to outline and evaluate
the MSM of memory.
Starter:
• Try to draw the MSM diagram from
memory.

13. The Multi-Store Model of Memory
(Atkinson and Shiffrin, 1968)

14. The Multi-Store Model of Memory
(Atkinson and Shiffrin, 1968)
CAPACITY: amount that can be
held in STM (Jacobs, 1890;
Miller, 1956)
decay
Short-term Long-term
Sensory memory memory memory
ENCODING: changing info to a
memorable format = sound
(Conrad, 1964).
DURATION: how long it can be held in
STM (Peterson & Peterson, 1959).

15. L/O: to be able to outline and evaluate
the MSM of memory.
The STM store in the model
Chunking: changing the size of items by
reorganising information e.g. 07958-245- 124
becomes 3 ‘items’. CAPACITY IN STM
Interference: any gap / time/ distraction in
memory model process e.g. a task in between
list of words to be remembered. DURATION IN STM

16. L/O: to be able to outline and evaluate
the MSM of memory.
The STM store in the model
Rehearsal
Maintenance rehearsal: simply repeating information
= keeps it in STM.
Elaborate rehearsal: using the info and changing it
= transfer to LTM.
How could you apply these types of rehearsal to your
experience of learning? Discuss and write a sentence or
two using the terminology of the two types of rehearsal.

17. L/O: to be able to outline and evaluate
the MSM of memory.
The LTM store inisthe model errors
This why semantic
occur for things we know
well (LTM)
Encoding is present when information goes from
the STM to LTM too.barn – shed.
e.g.
It is very rare for acoustic
Short-term Long-term
errors to occur in our LTM
Sensory memory memory memory
e.g.
ENCODING: barn – born
ENCODING:
Sound Meaning
(acoustic) (semantic)

18. EXAM TIP!
You may be asked about the differences
between encoding, capacity and
duration in STM and LTM in the MSM.
• Textbook p.g. 65.
• Read and copy table of differences.

19. Evaluation of the MSM
• Strengths (evidence
for it) • Weaknesses
1. Studies of brain damaged (evidence against it)
patients have suggested that
the STM and LTM are two
separate stores in the brain
(Shallice & Warrington – KF).
2. Murdock - Primacy effect
(remember first few of a word
list): support for rehearsal in
STM; Recency effect
(remember last few of a word
list): support for duration in
STM.