WACE Psychology — Unit 3
Memory Systems — Flashcards & Quiz
Memory is not a single system but a set of related stores and processes. In WACE Psychology ATAR Year 12 Unit 3, Memory and learning, you describe the multi-store model (Atkinson and Shiffrin, 1968): the sensory register (iconic and echoic), short-term memory and long-term memory, each with its duration, capacity and encoding. Long-term memory divides into explicit (semantic and episodic) and implicit (procedural) memory. You also study the working memory model and the brain structures involved, including Henry Molaison's case.
Key Points
- Memory processes: encoding (getting information in), storage (holding it) and retrieval (getting it back out).
- Sensory register: very large capacity, raw sensory encoding, very brief duration — iconic (visual) about 0.2–0.5 seconds, echoic (auditory) about 3–4 seconds.
- Short-term memory: about 18–30 seconds without rehearsal, capacity about 7 ± 2 items (Miller), encoding mainly acoustic.
- Long-term memory: relatively permanent, potentially unlimited capacity, encoding mainly semantic.
- Explicit (declarative) LTM is consciously recalled: semantic (facts) and episodic (personal events). Implicit LTM, such as procedural memory for skills, is expressed without conscious recall.
- Henry Molaison lost the ability to form new explicit memories after surgery removed most of both hippocampi, yet he could still learn new motor skills — evidence that explicit and implicit memory depend on different structures (hippocampus vs cerebellum).
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Treating long-term memory as a single system — it has explicit and implicit subtypes.
- Confusing episodic (personal events) with semantic (general knowledge) memory.
- Giving every sensory store the same duration — echoic memory lasts several seconds, iconic well under a second.
- Saying Henry Molaison could not form any new memories — he could still learn procedural skills.
- Mixing up the multi-store model (separate stores) with the working memory model (components of short-term memory).
Exam Strategy
Short-answer questions often give a scenario and ask you to identify the store or memory type involved. Method: (1) name the store and give its duration, capacity and encoding, (2) for long-term memory, classify the example as explicit (semantic or episodic) or implicit (procedural), (3) name the brain structure most involved (hippocampus for explicit, cerebellum for implicit, amygdala for emotional memories), and (4) use Henry Molaison as evidence that the systems are separate.
Sample Flashcards
Q1: What are the three main memory systems proposed by the Atkinson-Shiffrin model?
The Atkinson-Shiffrin model proposes three sequential memory stores: sensory memory, short-term memory (STM), and long-term memory (LTM). Information flows from sensory memory to STM, and with rehearsal, can be transferred to LTM.
Q2: Define sensory memory according to the Atkinson-Shiffrin model.
Sensory memory is the briefest memory store, holding vast amounts of incoming sensory information for a very short duration. It acts as a buffer, allowing the brain to select relevant information for further processing.
Q3: What is the capacity and duration of iconic sensory memory?
Iconic memory, a type of sensory memory, has a very large capacity but an extremely short duration, typically lasting only about 0.3 to 0.4 seconds. It briefly holds visual information from the environment.
Q4: What is the capacity and duration of echoic sensory memory?
Echoic memory, another sensory store, holds auditory information for a slightly longer duration than iconic memory, typically 3 to 4 seconds. Its capacity is also large, capturing sounds from the environment.
Q5: Describe short-term memory (STM) as proposed by Atkinson-Shiffrin.
Short-term memory is a temporary storage system with limited capacity and duration. It holds information currently in conscious awareness, actively processing it for potential transfer to long-term memory.
Sample Quiz Questions
Q1: Damage to the amygdala would most likely impair a person's ability to:
Answer: Form new emotional memories.
The amygdala is crucial for processing emotions and enhancing the consolidation of emotionally charged memories. Damage would likely affect the ability to form new memories with strong emotional content, particularly fear. The other options relate to the cerebellum (motor skills), hippocampus (explicit memories), and hippocampus/cortex (autobiographical events).
Q2: The Atkinson-Shiffrin model is criticised for being too simplistic because it:
Answer: Proposes a linear flow of information and doesn't fully explain parallel processing.
A major criticism of the Atkinson-Shiffrin model is its linear, stage-based approach, which doesn't adequately account for parallel processing or the active construction of memories by the individual. It also doesn't fully differentiate LTM types. The model does address sensory memory capacity and information transfer via attention/rehearsal.
Q3: The process of strengthening neural connections through repeated stimulation, believed to be a fundamental mechanism for learning and memory, is known as:
Answer: Long-term potentiation (LTP)
Long-term potentiation (LTP) is the persistent strengthening of synapses based on recent activity, considered a key cellular mechanism underlying learning and memory. Neural plasticity is the broader ability of the brain to change, and consolidation is the stabilisation of memories. Synaptic pruning is the elimination of unused connections.
Revision Tip
Memory taxonomy is a diagram-heavy topic — drill a Revizi deck with a tree diagram of memory types and examples for each.
Related Concepts
Last updated: 9 October 2026 · 20 sample flashcards · 20 sample quiz questions