Category: Short Term Memory

The multi-store model of memory was proposed by Atkinson and Shiffrin (1968) and is a basic model. They suggested that memory comprised of three stores: a tactile register, transient memory (STM) and long-haul memory (LTM). This is one of the theories that I will be discussing alongside the working memory theory which was introduced by Baddeley & Hitch in 1974. The working memory theory argues that the picture of short-term memory (STM) provided by the multi-store model is far too simple. The model alludes to the piece of memory that you use when occupied at a task which expects you to store and recall data as you go. Within this model short-term memory stored is described to withhold limited capacity due to being coded acoustically. However, the working memory model is used in a more in-depth way to explain how the short-term store for memory is organized in addition to its functions. The model was used to access the mind, which is actively used when one is temporarily processing information that has been collected. Moreover, there are three stages of the way we process things into our memory: encoding, storage and retrieval. Encoding transform incoming information into a form that can be stored into memory. Storage holds the information in memory until it is needed, where retrieval gets it out for it to be used.

Firstly, the multi-store model can be separated in to three components, starting off with sensory register, which is where information enters memory, besides this, a short-term store, also called working memory or short-term memory, is which receives and holds input from both the sensory register and the long-term store. Additionally, the long-term store is where information which has been rehearsed in the short-term store is held indefinitely. Within the multi-store model, the data is distinguished by the sense organs and enters tactile memory. If attended to this data enters momentary memory. In addition, data from transient memory is moved to long-term memory just if that data is practiced. If support practice (redundancy) doesn’t happen, at that point data is overlooked and lost from transient memory through the procedures of relocation or decay.

Sensory memory is an extremely concise memory that permits individuals to hold impressions of tactile data after the first improvement has stopped. It is frequently thought of as the main phase of memory, which includes enrolling a huge measure of data about the earth, yet just for a short period. The motivation behind sensory memory is to hold data long enough for it to be perceived. Tactile memory permits us to quickly hold an impression of an ecological upgrade much after the first wellspring of data has finished or disappeared. By taking care of this data, we would then be able to move significant subtleties into the following phase of memory, which is known as short-term memory. Within sensory memory there are also three different types firstly, iconic memory, otherwise called visual tactile memory, includes an exceptionally short picture. This sort of tangible memory commonly goes on for around one-quarter to one-portion of a second, besides iconic memory there is also echoic memory, which otherwise called sound-related tactile memory, includes an extremely short memory of sound somewhat like a reverberation. This sort of tactile memory can keep going for up to three to four seconds. And lastly, haptic memory, otherwise called material memory, includes the exceptionally short memory of a touch. This kind of tactile memory goes on for around two seconds. Sensory memory assumes a crucial job in your capacity to learn and connect with your general surroundings. This sort of memory permits you to hold brief impressions of a tremendous measure of data. It plays an important role in an individual’s attention and memory process. As indicated by Atkinson and Shiffrin (1971), things can be kept in momentary memory by rehashing them verbally (acoustic encoding), a procedure known as practice. The encoding within short-term memory is mainly auditory in comparison to long-term memory, whereby the encoding is mainly semantic however can be visual.

Additionally, long-term memory contrasts from that of the present moment as it has a boundless limit. Atkinson and Shiffrin asserted that overlooking in long-term memory happens because of disarray between comparative long-term recollections and not having the option to locate the fitting memory follow. Encoding in long-term memory seems, by all accounts, to be semantic and the span of long-term memory is a lifetime. A study however which supports the multi-store memory theory was that of Henry Molaison, it showed that the long-term and momentary recollections are two unmistakable stores. After having his hippocampus accidently expelled because of medical procedure for epilepsy, his transient memory stayed flawless. Henry’s long-term memory had been harmed as he couldn’t frame new recollections. He was unable to move new data into his long-term memory. Regardless of having the option to recollect individuals he had known quite a while in the past, new individuals he had experienced resembled unknown to him.

Moreover, Korsakov’s disorder supports the model, as alcoholics may get Korsakov’s disorder. They will overlook all material and can’t move data from their momentary recollections into their long-term recollections. This again underpins the idea that the long-term and short-term transient recollections are two separate stores, since heavy drinkers with Korsakov’s disorder need their momentary memory to move data from it to their long-haul memory. However, evidence against the model is the possibility of flashbulb recollections. It repudiates the multi-store model as data seems to have gotten into long-term memory without being practiced. Without a doubt in regular day to day existence we seldom ever practice data, yet we have little issue in putting away colossal measures of it, so this thought condemns the possibility of practice. People can have noteworthy events transpire during their life that just happen once advertisement they will recall these recollections without the need to practice them.

Furthermore, the investigation of KF likewise condemns the model on the grounds that KF’s visual transient memory stayed whole after cerebrum harm because of a motorbike mishap and KF could likewise store long haul recollections without them expecting to go through his harmed long-term memory. This scrutinizes the model in two different ways: as per the multi-store model, recollections need to go through transient memory to be put away in long-term memory. KF’s verbal transient memory was harmed despite his visual memory being unblemished, recommending that momentary memory is certainly not a unitary store, with various parts devoted to handling various sorts of data.

Working memory is transient memory. Be that as it may, rather than all data going into one single store, there are various frameworks for various sorts of data. The phonological loop is part of working memory that deals with spoken and written material. The phonological store is linked to the inner ear is used for discourse recognition. It holds data in a discourse-based structure. Articulatory control process (inward voice) is linked to discourse creation. It is used to practice and store verbal data from the phonological store. In addition, the central executive is the most important component of the model as it is responsible for monitoring and coordinating the operation of the slave systems and relates them to long-term memory. The central executive chooses which data is taken care of and which parts of working memory to send that data to be managed. Baddeley recommends that the central executive acts progressively like a framework which controls attentional procedures as opposed to as a memory store. The central executive enables the working memory system to selectively attend to some stimuli and ignore others. Moreover, the visuospatial sketchpad (inner eye) deals with visual and spatial information, the sketchpad also displays and manipulates visual and spatial information held in long-term memory. A visual handling task and a verbal preparing undertaking can be performed simultaneously. It is progressively hard to perform two visual assignments simultaneously on the grounds that they meddle with one another and execution is diminished. The equivalent applies to performing two verbal assignments simultaneously. This supports the view that the phonological circle and the sketchpad are discrete frameworks inside working memory.

The working memory model clarifies significantly more than the multi-store model. It comprehends a scope of assignments – verbal thinking, appreciation, perusing, critical thinking and visual and spatial handling. It is reliable as working memory can be applied to everyday tasks such as reading, which involves the phonological loop, using mathematics and problem solving which can be linked to the central executive, and also following directions or geographical information can be linked to the visual and spatial processing part.

Research on short-term memory developed a wide range of new approaches based on previous concepts of information processing during the 1950s, including new techniques and theoretical approaches. The multi-store model developed by Atkinson and Shiffrin (1968) has generated tremendous amounts of research. It turned out, however, that the outcome of their research had several problems with their conceptions of the characteristics of short-term memory. There has been an attempt by psychologists to determine whether there is a connection between short-term memory and working memory, so working memory is usually regarded as a component of long-term memory, which also encompasses short-term memory. The working memory according to this perspective only contain a part of long-time memory that have been recently stimulated and move them into and out of short-term memory storage.

Specifically, Baddeley and Hitch (1974) postulated that working memory represent a significant part in supporting broad range of cognitive activities related to everyday living, such as reasoning skills and language comprehension, long-term learning, and mental arithmetic. The work of Baddeley and Hitch (1974) was concerned with whether or not short-term memory could function as a working memory, this was achieved by asking the participants to perform reasoning, comprehension, and learning tasks, while they simultaneously hold 0 and 8 digits in their short-term memory for instant recall. If short-term memory serves as a working memory, then overloading it should interfere with cognitive processing, it does lead to disruption and impacted performance, but not to a great extent. Alan Baddeley and his colleagues have been actively involved in developing the idea that short-term storage is composed of many subsystems, in which around 1974 they advocated that the concept of short-term memory should be replaced with that of working memory. A central executive component, a phonological loop, and a spatial sketch pad are the three components of their model they proposed. Based on the model, working memory consists of a central executive that controls two complementary modules through limited attention, which is a modality-free component with limited capacity, and limited attention is used to control the other two modules.

Bunge et al. (2000) presented evidence for the central executive, where researchers studied the brain activity in participants while they were performing two tasks at once, reading a sentence and recalling the final word in the sentence. They used FMRI (functional magnetic resonance imaging) to see which areas were most active. An increased amount of activation was observed in the dual task condition, indicating that attention increases brain activity that affects the central executive function. Baddeley et al. (1975) also provided evidence of a visual sketchpad, where he asked participants to visualize a matrix of numbers in a task given to them at the end. There was a significant impairment in visual perception when this task was combined with the tracking of a moving light.

An illustration of the phonological loop can be found in Baddeley et al. (1988) with the study of a patient with phonological short-term memory impairment who had difficulty learning to link new words to their meaning while learning how to link pairs of words in her native language. However, the previous models of working memory failed to explain, for instance, how information could be combined from different subsystems whose codes are different, and how it could communicate with long-term memory.

After 26 years later, Baddeley decided to introduce a 4th component called the episodic buffer. The role of the episodic buffer is to bring together information gathered from other components of working memory, as well as information about time and order, since there is no place to store information which is visual and acoustic, moreover information from the central executive, the visuospatial sketchpad, and the phonological loop is integrated into the episodic buffer. There is a belief that the episodic buffer will be a solution to some of the problems associated with the previous working memory model, including articulatory suppression, recalling of prose, and problem of binding. Introducing this component was motivated by the observation that some individuals with amnesia seem incapable of encoding new information into long-term memory, but could recall events in short-term memory much better than could be handled by phonological loops. The episodic buffer provides a solution to issues like articulatory suppression and recall of prose working memory, that have some characteristics manage by the central executive through conscious awareness, and it integrates information from multiple sources into a complex structure or episode, which has limited capacity and temporary storage. In their research on articulatory suppression, Baddeley and his colleagues (1984) asked peoples to repeat the word ‘the’ as they learned a visually presented list of numbers. This study predicted that no recall would take place. In making this prediction, its assumed that visual information can indirectly have access to phonological loop, whereas articulatory suppression should obstruct visual information from entering phonological loop. Moreover, a small reduction in recall was observed, typically from seven to five digits, however, this was when data from articulatory suppression was analyzed. This prove that even if there is an interference originating from the central executive, binding does not still stop, but a reduction of performance is likely to happen. A further study of injured brain patients revealed that people who have short-term memory impaired had a good recall ability at visually presented digits more than when presented digits in auditory. This indicate that a backup store for temporary information is evident here, as explained by the episodic buffer.

In conclusion to this, the episodic buffer greatly enhances the working memory model, especially also make the model better able in predicting behavior in various situations, for example, individual with amnesia. Research in psychology labs and neurophysiological studies have supported the model, for example, brain scans showing demonstrating changes in brain activity as a result of various tasks that are performed. However, it seems like that the original model was unfinished due to the episodic buffer being inserted 26 years after the original model was published, which might have limited its usefulness in explaining of working memory better. The model doesn’t incorporate all senses, which means it only consider sight and sound, and majority of the tests result supporting the model often uses artificial tasks which lack validity because the task doesn’t accurately reflect real-life scenario. Psychologists such as Cowan (2001) challenged the working memory hypothesis by proposing a model for the interaction between the central executive and the episodic buffer, while in real life situations, such as patients with amnesia and Alzheimer’s disease, Baddeley’s working memory model can be applied. Lastly, despite of it many critics, the model has proven a useful framework for learning, and add to our incremental growth about important cognitive functions.