Cognitive - Multi-Store Model Studies

Glanzer and Cunitz (1966)

Procedure 

- Presented participants with a list of 20 words, one at a time and then asked them to recall any words remembered.

Findings 

- Participants remembered more words from the beginning of the list (primacy effect) and words at the end of the list (recency effect).

Evaluation

+ Supports MSM, first words are best rehearsed and transferred to LTM. Last words remain in STM.

- Participant variables.

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Peterson and Peterson

Procedure

- 24 students in experiment.
- Given consonant syllable (e.g. WTG) and a three-digit number (e.g. 303).
- Counted down in 3s from the number.
- Asked to recall the letters.
- Given two practice trials followed by eight trials. Retention interval was different at each trial.

Findings 

- Participants remembered 90% of the words when there was a 3-second interval.
- Remembered 2% when there was an 18-second interval.
- When rehearsal is prevented, STM lasts about 20 seconds at most.

Evaluation

+ Supports the MSM - rehearsal needed to transfer information from STM to LTM.
+ Lots of trials used - gives more accurate data.
+ Backs up theory that STM is very short.

- Very small sample size - low population validity.
- Number of trials create order effects making results less accurate.

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Bahrick et al (1975)

Procedure

- Asked people of various ages to put names to faces from high school yearbooks.

Findings

- People were, on average, 70% accurate.

Evaluation

+ Supports MSM because memory was encoded semantically (the faces) to LTM.
+ Asked people of various ages - high population validity.

- Refutes MSM - suggests rehearsal was not needed for the names to be remembered.

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Conrad (1964)

Procedure

- Showed participants a random sequence of six consonants under two conditions.
- One condition used acoustically similar consonants.
- Second condition used acoustically different consonants.
- Participants had to write down letters in order.

Findings

- Participants made frequent errors.
- Found it more difficult to remember similar sounding letters in order.

Evaluation 

+ Supports MSM - visual material encoded acoustically in STM.

- Order effects.
- Participant variables.

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Milner (1957) - Case Study

Events 

• Had his hippocampus removed from both sides of the brain to reduce epilepsy.
• Could not form long-term memories.

Evaluation

+ Biological evidence of the MSM.
+ Qualitative data - rich in detail.

- Can't be replicated - low reliability.
- Low ecological validity.