Discuss theories of memory. Which do you find most convincing?

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William Hoang

A/S Level Psychology

Discuss theories of memory. Which do you find most convincing?        DL 06.11.01

Memory, “the retention of learning and experience” is now more often studied from an information-processing point of view, and is generally accepted as representing the processes of encoding, storage and retrieval of information (Gross, 2001). Many theories of memory have come to light since the first studies of memory by Ebbinghaus (1885: cited by Gross 2001), and each theory has those opposing.

Atkinson & Shiffrin’s multi-store model remains a highly influential basis to other memory models. The multi-store model places an emphasis on short-term memory (STM) and long-term memory (LTM) as it views each as permanent “structural components” of the memory system, and tries to describe how information flows from one storage system to another. The model shows how raw sensory information is temporarily stored in our sensory memory whilst it is scanned and matched with information from our long-term memory. This is how we deem information sufficiently important to draw our attention. Matched information might then progress to STM, and with the operation of certain control processes such as rehearsal, may have permanence in LTM. Many experimental studies of STM and LTM have been consistent with the multi-store model.  (Atkinson & Shiffrin 1968, 1971: cited by Gross 2001)

The “serial position effect” (SPE) presented by Murdock was the result of an experimental study where participants were asked to memorise a series of words. It was found that items at the start and end of the series seemed to be recalled with more frequency because of what Murdock called the primacy and recency effects, and that intermediary items seemed to be recalled less efficiently – subsequently called asymptote.  (Murdock 1962: cited by Cech 2001 and Gross 2001),

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Multi-store theorists would argue that SPE works under the assumption that two result sets are the consequence of the operation of two different memory systems. It would be argued that primacy works on the presumption that items at the start of the list have been rehearsed and have consequently been transferred to and retrieved from LTM. Recency would presumably occur because items are still current within STM and are recalled from there. Asymptote would occur because not enough time is available for rehearsal and storage in LTM and because STM only has a limited capacity of about 7 items ...

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