Cognitive Psychology: Theories of Memory and Memory Models

This article explores the theories of memory and memory models in cognitive psychology. It discusses the process of memory retention and the different stages of memory. The article also delves into the information processing theory, levels of processing theory, and various memory models.

Running head: COGNITIVE PSYCHOLOGY
Cognitive Psychology
Name of the Student
Name of the University
Author Note

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Executive Summary
The Cognitive psychology focuses on the system of cognition that is perceived among the
human beings, and one of the most important part of the cognition system is the process of
Memorizing. Memory is the process of retaining the information for a longer period.
Therefore, in the following report the concept of Memory and the various theories of
Memory, and the Memory model will be illustrated and discussed.

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Table of Contents
Introduction................................................................................................................................3
Contrasting Theories of Memory:..........................................................................................3
Information Processing Theory:.........................................................................................4
Levels of Processing Theory:.............................................................................................5
Models of memory.................................................................................................................5
Multi-Store Model by Richard Atkinson and Richard Shriffin.........................................5
Level of processing Model.................................................................................................6
Working Memory Model...................................................................................................6
Dementia............................................................................................................................7
Memory Experiment Using Eyewitness Testimony:.................................................................8
Conclusion..................................................................................................................................9
References................................................................................................................................10

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Introduction
Memory is the process of maintaining and retaining information for a long time, and
is a means to draw the experiences from the past and apply that information in the present.
Memory is a biological or psychological process of the individuals, as it is seen that generally
one tends to remember things. It is imperative to remember the small details from the past
and further use it on the present. The psychologists are of the opinion that, the system of
memory and the process of cognition go hand in hand, and to retain something for a long
time, or to memorize something for a long time it is imperative that one must cognize the
concept well. Therefore, in the following essay the prime focus will be on the process of
memory and on the theories of memory that will help to understand how memory is helpful in
the development of the individual abilities. Two types of memory help in the process of
recognition such as Short Term Memory and Long Term Memory. Memory enables the
individuals to recognize the concepts that are learnt, and then apply them in the context of
their lives. The span of memory shows for how much time an individual remembers a
concept. The ability to remember a concept for a short period shows that the individual
possesses Short Term Memory whereas when an individual remembers concepts for a
prolonged period it is termed as Long Term Memory.

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Contrasting Theories of Memory:
There are three main theories that are considered as the two theories of the Memory,
in psychology. These are the Information Processing Theory, Levels of Processing Theory,
and the Multicomponent Working Theory.
Information Processing Theory:
The information process theory discusses the various processes and steps through which the
system of learning occurs. The theory specially focuses on the processes of encoding and
retrieval. The theory was specially developed by George Miller and Atkinson and Shriffin, at
different points of time and each of the theorists had added certain aspects to the theory. The
theory specially focuses on the mechanism of the information processing that takes place
within the human minds. The theorists are of the opinion that the entire process follows the
mechanism of the computer information processor, whereby, an information is taken in,
which is regarded as input, then the information is processed and stored in the brain, and
then, finally the information is used in the applicable situation, which then is regarded as the
output. Atkinson and Shriffin, who said that the whole process follows certain stages,
provided the most acclaimed theory, and their theory is therefore, named as the ‘Stage
Theory’ (Lachman, Lachman and Butterfield. 2015.)
The stage theory or the information processing therefore includes three essential components,
first, the Sensory Memory, which is referred to the information gathered by using the senses.
Through the receptors these information are gathered, which are gathered in an unconscious
stage. The receptor or the sensory memory can be regarded as the filter which intakes only
the information which are necessary and sensible, and does not consider the unnecessary
information to get included in the brain. Second, is the Short Term Memory (Lachman,
Lachman and Butterfield. 2015.)

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According to Baddeley, the short-term memory controls the executive system of memory,
and this includes the memory activity, the methods of processing, meaning of the information
and the finally taking the decision of where to posit the information. This part of memory is
also responsible for the retention, recognition an organization of the memory in a
chronological order. The sensory memory also helps in cognition, recognizing the individual
capacity of retention and enabling the individuals to practice attention and apply the gathered
knowledge in the correct field.
Third is the Long Term Memory, which holds various parts and types of the information,
namely, semantic and episodic memory, procedural memory, and imagery, that is, the mental
images. While the short-term memory has a limited space, the long-term memory has an
unlimited space. The long-term memory helps in the encoding and the retrieval process.
Levels of Processing Theory:
The levels of processing model or theory was developed by Craik and Lockhart, which
described the complete processing of the memory, and concluded saying that, the more an
information is processed, the longer that memory will stay. They further gave the two types
of processing that are included in the process, Shallow Processing and Deep Processing.
The shallow processing refers to the structural processing of the information, which only
encodes the outlook of something, for example, the formation of the letters. It also refers to
the phonemic processing, which refers to the encoding of the sound. The shallow process also
takes part in the process of rehearsal (Harley, 2013).
The deep processing includes the semantic processing, which refers to the deep- rooted
meanings of words, sentences, images, and the like. While the shallow process maintains the
rehearsal procedure, the deep process elaborates the rehearsal process (Harley, 2013).

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Models of memory
The most influential models of memory are described below:
Multi-Store Model by Richard Atkinson and Richard Shriffin
This model shows that memory exits in three stages that are sensory, short-term and
long-term. It is passed from one stage to another and if the process is stopped and attention is
not paid to the memory it is simply lost from the minds of the individual (Greene 2014). The
main source through which information enters the human brain are the senses and is
remembered for a long period. The short-term memory is the decaying of information while
it stays in the mind and the concepts wither away within a limited period. The events that
happen in the life of an individual and the effects that it left on his mind are visible for a
longer period that comes under the concept of long-term memory.
Level of processing Model
Fergus Craik and Robert Lockhart established this theory in the year 1972 in which
they contradicted that the model shown by Atkinson and Shriffin. They showed that the span
of memory is dependent on the number of times it is processed in the mind of the individuals.
This showed that the more we remember the events of the past, the more it becomes
permanent in the mind of the individual. They showed two types in which memory stays in
the mind of the individual. It follows two stages of processing: shallow and deep processing.
The events that do not hold importance in the life the individual come under the concept of
shallow processing whereas in deep process the events that had a considerable impact on the
life of the individuals.
Working Memory Model
Alan Baddeley and Graham Hiltch that showed the importance of recapitulating the
events in the life developed this model. They showed that the concept of short- term memory

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was a simple one and proposed the working memory model in place of it. The working
memory model consists two prime components that are visual-spatial sketchpad that refers to
the inner eye and the second component is the articulatory-phonological loop that refers to
the inner ear that are referred as the main receptors in the process of collecting information.
The two components work as independent bodies and are regulated by the brain that
stimulates and processes the information. The visual-spatial data is the visual effect of the
information that is stored in the minds of the individual whereas the articulatory-phonological
refers to the sounds that are experienced by the individual. This brain tends to forget the
sounds but with repeated practice, it can be stored in the minds of the individuals for a long
period.
Dementia
It is the state in which, the human brain becomes incapable to remember the events. It
affects the process and the skills that are possessed by the humans in the sphere of thinking
and performing the daily activities. It disrupts the daily life of the individuals who are
affected by it. Alzheimer’s is the disease that is associated with dementia. Vascular dementia
is another type of dementia that occurs in the life of the individual after suffering from a
stroke (Justin, Turek and Hakim 2013). It is caused by the increase in the thyroxin levels and
deficiency in the rate of vitamins. The concept was also wrongly interpreted by relating it to
the concept of ageing (Prince et al. 2013). The effect of dementia is primarily on memory but
it also has effects on the process of communication and language. It reduces the ability of the
individual to focus on different concepts and to pay attention to the activities that are
happening around him. Those people who are affected by dementia tend to possess shorter
span of memory that creates problems for them in remember basic things that are carried out
in the daily lives. In case of some individuals, the process of dementia is slow and show the
effects gradually. The prime cause of dementia is the damage to the cells of the brain. The

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damage creates in the disruption in the functioning of the cells that hinders the
communication process and the way an individual behaves in the society. The damaged cells
refrain to function and this leads to dysfunction of memory and the ability to assess the
situations and act accordingly. Alzheimer’s is aggravated when the damaged cells are not
allowed to recover because of the higher levels of protein levels present in the cells of the
brains (Prince et al. 2017). Depression is caused by dementia that leads to suicidal tendencies
in the individuals. To cure dementia there are medications prescribed and there are therapies
that prove to be effective in the sphere of treatment (Livingston et al. 2017). There is an
urgent need to employ a number of trained professionals to cure the diseases that are caused
because of dementia. Inclusion of regular physical activities, a well prescribed diet and
proper medications can prove helpful in solving the problem. Due to the change in the
lifestyle of the individuals it becomes tough to maintain a balance in life and that results in
the diseases like dementia. Thus, it becomes important to include the basic activities for the
physical and mental well-being of the individuals.
Memory Experiment Using Eyewitness Testimony:
In a class of fifty students, there are individuals who possess high memory rates and
there are others who are average in their capability to remember things that are taught in the
class. To test their ability to remember the different concepts that were taught earlier, a
simple experiment using the Glanzer and Cunitzs’ ‘Serial Position Effect’ can be carried out
in the class. A chart will be shown to the all the students for a limited period of time and after
that they will be asked to sat the name of the objects that were displayed on the chart in
backwards. The students who are able to remember the images for a longer period answer
them with precision and those who tend to forget cannot remember the simple concepts. This
simple experiment shows that the span of attention paid by different individuals can differ

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and showed that, if the students are asked to recall the names within 30 minutes, then they are
successful, but a delayed recall of even 30 seconds affected the recency effect.
Conclusion
Thus, it can be established that memory plays a very important role in the life of an
individual. The cognitive psychological skills that focus on the development of the individual
from the initial stages show that human brain is a complex entity and to develop it the
emphasis should be laid on it from childhood, as it is the stage where most of the
development occurs. The responsibility of the development lies with the elders who surround
the child. They can be the members of their homes, teachers and peers as they have direct
contact with them. Therefore, the process of developing the cognitive abilities can be
successful only when there should be proper collaboration from the internal and external
surroundings. The models that are prescribed for understanding the human brain provide an
insight into the complex human brain that is the main component in the functioning of
humans throughout their lives.

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References
Evans, J.S.B. and Stanovich, K.E., 2013. Dual-process theories of higher cognition:
Advancing the debate. Perspectives on psychological science, 8(3), pp.223-241.
Greene, J., 2014. Memory, Thinking and Language (PLE: Memory): Topics in Cognitive
Psychology. Psychology Press.
Harley, T.A., 2013. The psychology of language: From data to theory. Psychology press.
Justin, B.N., Turek, M. and Hakim, A.M., 2013. Heart disease as a risk factor for
dementia. Clinical epidemiology, 5, p.135.
Lachman, R., Lachman, J.L. and Butterfield, E.C., 2015. Cognitive psychology and
information processing: An introduction. Psychology Press.
Livingston, G., Sommerlad, A., Orgeta, V., Costafreda, S.G., Huntley, J., Ames, D., Ballard,
C., Banerjee, S., Burns, A., Cohen-Mansfield, J. and Cooper, C., 2017. Dementia prevention,
intervention, and care. The Lancet, 390(10113), pp.2673-2734.
Prince, M., Bryce, R., Albanese, E., Wimo, A., Ribeiro, W. and Ferri, C.P., 2013. The global
prevalence of dementia: a systematic review and metaanalysis. Alzheimer's & dementia, 9(1),
pp.63-75.
Prince, M., Comas-Herrera, A., Knapp, M., Guerchet, M. and Karagiannidou, M., 2016.
World Alzheimer report 2016: improving healthcare for people living with dementia:
coverage, quality and costs now and in the future.