History of memory in psychology?

Question

Does anyone know the history of memory models? which models are most respected in terms of both memory consolidation and retrieval?

Answer 1

Try Ebbinghaus, 1885. He invented 3-letter nonsense syllables to test on himself. He spent several years on this research (even though he only tested himself!) He found that memory declined sharply at first then levels off.

Alan Baddeley and Graham Hitch proposed a Model of Working Memory in 1974, in an attempt to describe a more accurate model of short-term memory.

Baddeley & Hitch proposed their working memory model as an alternative to the short-term store in Atkinson & Shiffrin's 'multi-store' memory model (1968). The model proposed by Baddeley and Hitch has remained the dominant view in the field of working memory. However, alternative models are developing (see working memory) providing a different perspective on the working memory system.

The model of Baddeley & Hitch is composed of three main components; the 'central executive' (see executive system) which acts as supervisory system and controls the flow of information from and to its 'slave-systems': the 'phonological loop' and the 'visuo-spatial sketch-pad'. The slave systems are short-term storage systems dedicated to a content domain (verbal and visuo-spatial, respectively).

Baddeley & Hitch's argument for the distinction of two domain-specific slave systems in the model was derived from experimental findings with dual-task paradigms. Performance of two simultaneous tasks requiring the use of two separate perceptual domains (i.e. a visual and a verbal task) is nearly as efficient as performance of the tasks individually. In contrast, when a person tries to carry out two tasks simultaneously that use the same perceptual domain, performance is less efficient than when performing the tasks individually.

Answer 2

Memory study has gone on as long as psychology. I believe study of memory started with Freud! He lloked at how conscious and unconscious memories can be retrieved and how they affect every day life. Then Behaviourism looked at unconscious memory in a different way; conditioning! This started with Pavolivian (classical) conditioning and took off from there... Then came tyhe humanist revolt which showed little interest in memory. Then came the boom of cog starting with multi store model, leading to elaboration into the working memory model, levels of processing and then it got more and more precise... Memory is VERY wide... you could do a BSc in just that to be honest

Good luck with whatever you need this for!

Answer 3

First memory models were linear models.

Try looking up PDP Models (Parallel Distributed Processing) tp explain learning and retrieval at a basic level. Higher levels of memory are less well understood.

Answer 4

I donl;t know, but I have a fading memory of history. Is that related?

Answer 5

if i can remember them....

william james (1890) i think first came up with the short term / long term memory model.

xxx