Memory Models

VCE Psychology · Memory models · 8 flashcards, free to study.

Atkinson-Shiffrin, levels of processing, and retrieval for VCE Psychology

Atkinson-Shiffrin Multi-Store Model — stages
Sensory register → Short-term memory (STM) → Long-term memory (LTM). Rehearsal moves info from STM to LTM.
Capacity of STM
7 ± 2 chunks (Miller, 1956). Limited; displaced by new incoming information.
Duration of STM without rehearsal
15–30 seconds before information decays.
Types of LTM
Explicit (declarative): episodic + semantic. Implicit (non-declarative): procedural + classically conditioned responses.
What is elaborative rehearsal?
Linking new information to existing knowledge — more effective than maintenance rehearsal for LTM encoding.
Levels of processing model (Craik & Lockhart)
Deeper processing (semantic) → stronger, more durable memory trace than shallow (structural/phonemic).
Reconstructive memory (Bartlett)
Memory is not a recording — it is rebuilt using schemas. Errors and distortions occur during retrieval.
Proactive interference
Old learning disrupts recall of new learning. E.g. old phone number interfering with new one.

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