The MSM is a structural model stating that sensory memory, stm, and ltm are separate

unitary stores through info flows in a linear way.

Environmental stimuli enters the sensory register either echoic or iconic. The stimulus is
decayed if not payed attention to. Once it has been paid attention to it enters the short term
memory. Maintenance rehearsal can increase the length of time information is stored in stm.
Elaborative rehearsal transfers the information into our LTM. Information will start to decay
is rehearsal is discontinued. Once in LTM information can be retrieved to STM. The LTM
and Stm differ in terms of how information is encoded, its capacity and duration.
To evaluate MSM, a strength is that it has real life evidence from the case study of Clive
Wearing. He suffers from amnesia where his LTM is intact but he cannot transfer
information from stm to his ltm. This supports the msm as is shows how ltm and stm are
separate unitary stores and information flows in a linear way, as the theory predicts.
A weakness of the MSM is that it overestimates the importance of rehearsal in memory as
many types of memory are stored without rehearsal such as contents of a book, smells,
and emotionally important events in our lives. Therefore the MSM is flawed in
explaining memory in the real world.
The MSM appears too simplistic with only 3 unitary stores perhaps they should be split
further, visual and auditory for STM, episodic, semantic and procedural for ltm> This is
supported from amnesia patients who have impairment is only one area, therefore
researchers believe that the wmm provides a more accurate explanation of memory than
the msm.
The research into mSM is sample bias as it is conducted on patients with brain damage.
These are not typical of the rest of the target population therefore these findings cannot be
generalized to how other peoples memories are constructed, limiting support for MSM.
The research into MSM is high in reliability as it is conducted in a controlled lab
environment. This means the research can be repeated in similar conditions to gain
consistent results, into how the MSM works.

Outline and evaluate research into the sensory register.

The aim was to investigate the duration and capacity of the sensory register for visual
information. Participants were shown a grid of 12 symbols for 1/20th of a second. Then a
tone was played, if a high tone was played the ppts were to recall the top row, if a
medium tone was played, the ppts were to recall the middle row and if a low tone was
played the ppts were to recall the bottom row. It was found regarding the capacity that
participants could on average recall 3 out of 4 symbols in a row, suggesting the iconic
store can recall 76% of information. Regarding the duration it was found that if there was
a delay between the time the grid was seen and the information was recalled, information
was forgotten, after a 0.03 second delay only 50% information was recalled, and after one
second recalled reduced to 33%.
It is concluded that the ppts had a complete iconic memory of the 12 symbols which
disappeared within a second.
To evaluate the study it is high in reliability as the measure can be sued repeatedly to gain
consistent results into the capacity and duration of sensory memory. For example other
studies have used the same measure and gained consisted results. Therefor the measure is
a recognized and accepted system to assess the capacity and duration of sensory memory.

The research is low in ecological validity as the use of symbols is artificial and unlike
how the sensory memory would be used throughout the day in real world, as this
information would be more complex so findings are argued to provide little evidence for
how the sensory memory works in real life, lowering he external validity.

Discuss research into features of STM. 16m

The aim of the first study is to investigate how we encode information in STM. Participants were
shown a random sequence of consonants briefly on a screen. In condition 1 the letters were
similar sounding wile in condition 2 they sounded different. Ppts were then asked to recall the
list in the same order. It was found that letters were mixed up when sounded similar while letters
that sounded different were not. STM encodes mainly acoustically. This research is criticized for
individual differences as not all people encode acoustically for example deaf people encode
visually, clearly findings cannot be generalized to a wider population.
The aim of the second study was to investigate the duration of STM. Participants were shown a
trigram briefly on a screen and then asked to count backwards in threes from given number to
prevent rehearsal. The intervals between ranged between 3 to 18 seconds. It was found 80%
could recall after 3 seconds but after 18 seconds less than 10% could recall the trigram. This
concludes that the STM has a duration of 18 seconds. The research is low in ecological validity
as the use of trigrams in unlike the information learnt in real life hence the study provides little
evidence of the duration of STM in the real world, lowering external validity. The research into
duration of STM accounts for only one type of memory, visual and ignored the duration of others
such as smell or sound. Therefore firm conclusion cannot be drawn on stm duration.
The aim of the third study was to investigate research into the capacity of STM, h