Multi-Store Model and Flash Blub Memories - Essay Example

?Running Head: Multi-Store Model Multi-Store Model [Institute’s Multi-Store Model Multi-Store Model and Flash Blub Memories It was in 1968 when Richard Atkinson, Former President of University of California and Richard Shiffrin, member of the American Philosophical Society and Professor at Indiana University, proposed their model, which is known as Atkinson-Schiffrin Model, Multi Memory Model, or Multi Store Model (Feldman, pp. 16, 2001). The model is helpful in understanding dynamics of memory. The theory divides memory into three parts, short-term memory, long-term memory, and sensory memory. Sensory memory remains with the person for less than second. This category involves elements like colours, voices, location, and a little description of the things that we see, feel, hear, taste or smell and then forget. Important here to note is that there is no meaning attached to them and no forceful repetition of the same. In case of other the both of them, the stored memory becomes a short term memory that can last with the individual for less than half a minute (Henderson, pp. 115-116, 1999). It is like when a person looks at a word or a picture for a while to recall it after a while. The longest possible recall is of the long-term memory that a person posses which can last from minutes to lifetime. One of the most important aspects of this model is flashbulb memories. Under normal situations, one would move from sensory to short term and from short term to long-term memory, however, there are special circumstances when a sensory memory directly becomes a part of your long-term memory. People who have witnessed the assassination of John F. Kennedy, 9/11 Attacks, flood, fire, murder, robbery or some extra ordinary event in their lives, even if they have witnessed, only a glance of it, they tend to remember it for ages making it a part of their long term memory (Heffernan, pp. 89-90, 2005). For the past few decades, flashbulb memories have been considered as very dynamic and life long memories, however, recent researches have shown that they may not remain with a person for that long, as it was believed previously. Furthermore, during the period of 3-12 months after the events, the memory also starts to rust raising serious questions over its accuracy (Cardwell & Flanagan, pp. 56-57, 2005). Levels of Processing Model and Revising an Exam Craik and Lockhart in 1972 presented their model of memory, which they name as Level of Processing Model. Unlike the Multi Store Model of memory, which argues about eh dual store of memory, this model urges that short term and long-term memory is based on depth or level of processing on the stimuli. Fragile, vulnerable and violate memory traces are in the short-term store, however, memories with durable and lasting elements are placed in the long-term memory section of the brain. However, important here is to understand that what makes a memory fragile or durable? For example, processing of words based on their pictures and sounds requires shallow and straightforward processing, however, processing of things along which some meaning, logic or rational has been associated, is deeper and thus more durable (Miller, pp. 69-71, 2002). The human brain has complete network of semantic structures and whenever a specific stimuli is recalled, it will tend to have a higher recall value it is line with the existing semantic structures’ of the brain. In this case, the processing of that stimuli or memory would be deep, since many different portions of the semantic structure of the brain would come into action before a perfect meaning for the stimuli comes onto the scene. As mentioned that since it is deep processing, therefore, this stimuli or memory would become a part of this long-term memory section of the brain (Weiten, pp. 6-8, 2008). Without any doubts, the level of processing model offers great insights regarding how to revise for an exam. The basic idea to remember is that in some way or the other, the key to recalling things is associating other things with them. In other words, every object, which an individual wants to remember, he or she, must associate a meaning, rational, logical or sense to the same. Trying to capture the styles, pictures drawings, and voices will not work until and unless there are clear links of meaning, interpretations, logical and explanations formed with them. Therefore, the best way of revising an exam would not be by reading or merely skimming through the books or learning material but by explaining it to oneself or any other friend just for the sake. This way the brain would form meanings and associations with the learning material thus increasing the probability of recalling it on a long-term basis (Davies, Banyard, Norman & Winder, pp. 101-102, 2010). Explain the Driving of car and listening of radio with the working Model ‘Alan Baddeley and Graham Hitch proposed their model of working memory in 1974 as a response to the Multi Store Model’ (Cardwell & Flanagan, pp. 56-57, 2005). According to this model, there are four important components, which explain the working memory of humans (Cardwell & Flanagan, pp. 56-57, 2005). The first and the most important aspect of the system is the “Central Executive” which controls its slave system, pays attraction to specific things, shifts between tasks and others. The first slave is phonological loop, which stores information regarding the sound that we hear. The second slave is of visuospatial sketchpad, which has the authority to take care of the visual stimuli. The third slave is of Episodic Buffer, which is responsible for remembering chronological or time sequence events (Cardwell & Flanagan, pp. 56-57, 2005). Driving the car simultaneously with listening to radio is possible in an effective manner because according to the dual task paradigms, it possible to perform to two tasks at the same time, both in an efficient and perfect manner, only and only, if they require different perceptual domains. Quite clearly, driving is car needs the perceptual domain of seeing (eyes), however, listening to a radio requires the alertness of ears, since both require different perceptual domains, and therefore, the task can be performed with the same efficiency of performing both these tasks individually (Lerner, pp. 204, 2002). However, important here to note if a person wants to drive a car and watch a television on the dashboard, he or she would probably end up with an accident because both the task require the same perceptual domain of “seeing” and thus it is better to perform them differently rather than at the same time. Furthermore, a person who wants to write a letter and drive at the same time shall not attempt the same because driving requires hands to hold the steering and shift the gears and the same is the need for writing a letter (Shaffer & Kipp, pp. 81, 2009). References Cardwell, Mike, & Flanagan, Cara. 2005. Psychology AS: The Complete Companion. Nelson Thornes. Davies, Mark N. O., Banyard, Philip, Norman, Christine, & Winder, Belinda. 2010. Essential Psychology: A Concise Introduction. SAGE Publications Ltd. Feldman, Robert Stephen. 2001. Social psychology. Prentice Hall. Heffernan, Thomas M. 2005. A student's guide to studying psychology. Psychology Press. Henderson, John. 1999. Memory and forgetting. Routledge. Lerner, Richard M. 2002. Concepts and theories of human development. Routledge. Miller, Patricia H. 2002. Theories of developmental psychology. Worth Publishers. Shaffer, David R., & Kipp, Katherine. 2009. Developmental Psychology: Childhood and Adolescence. Cengage Learning. Weiten, Wayne. 2008. Psychology: Themes and Variations. Cengage Learning. Read More