The multi-store model of memory

Overview

Atkinson and Shiffrin's sensory, short-term and long-term stores, their coding, capacity and duration, the part attention and rehearsal play, and the model's strengths and weaknesses.

What you need to know

Answer each one before you reveal it.

Questions from this subtopic

Each one with the model answer underneath.

1. 1

   Name the three stores in Atkinson and Shiffrin's multi-store model, in the order information passes through them.

   Model answer

   Information passes from sensory memory to short-term memory, and then to long-term memory.

2. 2

   What does the multi-store model claim about how memory is organised?

   Model answer

   The multi-store model, proposed in 1968, claims memory is made of three separate stores. Each store has its own coding, capacity and duration. Information passes between the stores in sequence and is retrieved from long-term memory when needed.

3. 3

   How is information coded in the sensory store?

   Model answer

   Sensory memory holds information in the same form as the sense that received it. Visual input is held as an image and sound as an echo.

4. 4

   Describe the capacity and duration of sensory memory.

   Model answer

   Sensory memory has a very large capacity but a very short duration. Visual information lasts less than half a second unless it is attended to.

5. 5

   How is information mainly coded in short-term memory?

   Model answer

   Short-term memory mainly codes information acoustically, by its sound.

6. 6

   What is the capacity of short-term memory?

   Model answer

   Short-term memory holds about seven items, give or take two. Chunking items into larger units can increase how much is held.

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