
The multi-store model is an explanation of memory proposed by Atkinson and Shiffrin
Richard Shiffrin
Richard Shiffrin is professor of cognitive science in the Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences at Indiana University, Bloomington. Shiffrin has contributed a number of theories of attention and memory to the field of psychology. He co-authored the Atkinson–Shiffrin model of …
What is the multi store model of memory?
Describe and evaluate the Multi Store Model of memory. (18) The Multi Store Model of Memory consists of three stores, the Sensory Memory (SM), the Short Term Memory (STM) and the Long Term Memory (LTM). Information has to pass in a linear sequence through Sensory Memory and Short Term Memory to get to Long Term Memory.
What are the three types of memory stores?
The three main stores are the sensory memory, short-term memory (STM) and long-term memory (LTM). Each of the memory stores differs in the way information is processed (encoding), how much information can be stored (capacity), and for how long (duration).
What is the a model of memory?
A model of memory is a theory of how the memory system operates, the various parts that make up the memory system and how the parts work together. The Multi-Store Model of Memory as developed by Atkinson and Shiffrin describes the key characteristics of memory including; the sensory store, short term memory store and long term memory store.
What is the most important store of memory in psychology?
The most important stores in the model are the visual store (iconic memory) and the auditory store (echoic memory). Information in the sensory store stays here for a few seconds and only a very small amount of the information will continue into the short-term memory (STM) store.

What are the components of the multi-store model?
Atkinson & Shiffrin (1968) proposed the multi-store model of memory (MSM), which has three components: sensory register (SR), short-term memory (STM) and long-term memory (LTM). Each of these stores has a different capacity, duration and coding.
What are the main features of of the multi-store model of memory?
Atkinson and Shiffrin's (1968) multi store model of memory comprises of three separate memory stores- the sensory store, the short-term store and the long term store (both the short term and long term stores are unitary) . Each store functions differently in both capacity and coding.
What are the three stages of multi-store model?
Three stages of a multi-store memory are Sensory memory, Short-term memory and Long-term memory.
What are the 4 models of memory?
MODELS OF MEMORYThe Atkinson-Shiffrin Model.The Levels-of Processing Approach.Tulving's Model.The Parallel Distributed Processing Approach.
Why is the multi-store model important?
The primacy and recency effect supports the multi store model for memory because it argues the fact that short term and long term memory are two separate stores in memory.
What are the 3 types of memory?
The three major classifications of memory that the scientific community deals with today are as follows: sensory memory, short-term memory, and long-term memory.
Who made the multi-store model of memory?
Atkinson and Shiffrin (1968) developed the Multi-Store Model of memory (MSM), which describes flow between three permanent storage systems of memory: the sensory register (SR), short-term memory (STM) and long-term memory (LTM).
What is memory model and its types?
The most accepted theory in psychology for how memory works is called the Atkinson & Shiffrin model of memory, which was developed by Atkinson and Shiffrin in 1968. This model states that we have three basic types of memory, and those are called the sensory register, short-term memory and long-term memory.
Who made the WMM?
Baddeley and Hitch (1974) developed the Working Memory Model (WMM), which focuses specifically on the workings of short-term memory (STM).
What is the multi-store model in psychology?
The multi-store model is an explanation of memory proposed by Atkinson and Shiffrin which assumes there are three unitary (separate) memory stores, and that information is transferred between these stores in a linear sequence.
What are the strengths of the multi-store model?
Researchers agree that the short term memory and long term memory are two distinct stores with supporting research showing information needs rehearsal and both stores have different capacity and duration. The model was the first to provide a testable basis for further research into memory.
What are the different stages of memory models?
Stages of Memory: Sensory, Short-Term, and Long-Term Memory According to this approach (see Figure 9.4, “Memory Duration”), information begins in sensory memory, moves to short-term memory, and eventually moves to long-term memory. But not all information makes it through all three stages; most of it is forgotten.
What is the most common model of memory?
The model of memory that has dominated this field for the last 50 years is the three-box memory model (Atkinson & Shiffrin, 1968), which will be a strong focus in our discussion of memory.
What was the first model of memory?
Multi-store model: Atkinson and Shiffrin's (1968) original model of memory, consisting of the sensory register, short-term store, and long-term store.
What are two models of memory?
Two models that attempt to describe how memory works are the Multi-Store Model of Memory, developed by Atkinson & Shiffrin (1968), and the Working Memory Model of Memory, developed by Baddeley & Hitch (1974).
What are different types of memory in computer?
Types of computer memoryCache memory. This temporary storage area, known as a cache, is more readily available to the processor than the computer's main memory source. ... RAM. ... Dynamic RAM. ... Static RAM. ... Double Data Rate SDRAM. ... Double Data Rate 4 Synchronous Dynamic RAM. ... Rambus Dynamic RAM. ... Read-only memory.More items...
What are the 3 main store components in MSM?
The three main stores are sensory register (SR), short-term memory (STM) and long-term memory (LTM).
How is the information processed in MSM?
Memory is formed sequentially, and information passes from one store component in the model to the next in a fixed and linear order.
What are the 3 different characteristics of each store component?
They are 1) encoding, 2) capacity, 3) duration.
How does information transfer from SR to STM?
When attention is paid to something in the environment, it is then converted to short-term memory (STM).
How can information stay in STM?
Maintenance rehearsal is repeated to keep information in STM.
How does information transfer from STM to LTM?
Prolonged rehearsal (a long period of rehearsal) will create long-term memory (LTM).
What will happen if information in STM is not rehearsed?
If rehearsal does not occur, information will be forgotten and lost from STM through the processes of displacement or decay.
Describe the capacity, duration and manner in which information is encoded in the sensory register (SR) as proposed in MSM.
The sensory register (SR) has a larger capacity, which includes all sensory experiences. The duration is short, typically within ¼ to ½ seconds. Th...
Describe the capacity, duration, and manner in which information is encoded in short-term memory (STM) as proposed in MSM.
Short-term memory (STM) capacity holds around 7 +/- 2 items. The duration lasts about 0-18 seconds. The encoding method is mainly acoustic.
Who developed the multi store model of memory?
Atkinson and Shiffrin (1968) developed the Multi-Store Model of memory (MSM), which describes flow between three permanent storage systems of memory: the sensory register (SR), short-term memory (STM) and long-term memory (LTM).
What is the MSM model?
The MSM was a pioneering model of memory that inspired further research and consequently other influential models, such as the Working Memory Model.
How long does sensory information last in STM?
STM is thought to have a capacity of 5-9 items and duration of approximately 30 seconds. This capacity can be increased through ‘chunking’ (converting a string of items into a number of larger ‘chunks’, e.g. number 343565787 to 343 565 787).
Why is the multi store model important?
It reflects the knowledge available in the 1960s but it is an important model all the same because it has influenced our understanding of memory.
What is a model of memory?
In psychology, a model of memory is a hypothesized representation of memory. It is more like an outline of the different stores and processes indicating how memory might work according to available evidence. Obviously, models change over time as new evidence becomes available.
How long does STM last?
The capacity of STM has traditionally been assumed to be limited to around seven items (7+/-2) and its duration is normally about 6–18 seconds. With rehearsal, information may stay in STM for up to 30 seconds. Information in STM is quickly lost if not rehearsed. Information may also be displaced from STM by new information. For example, when you are rehearsing that phone number for ordering the pizza and then someone calls out your name. When your attention is taken away from the information in your STM, it is then displaced and no longer available. Rehearsal of material in STM plays a key role in determining what is stored in long-term memory in the multi-store model of memory.
What is procedural memory?
Procedural memory (“knowing how”) is the unconscious memory of skills and how to do things.
What are the two subsets of declarative memory?
There are two subsets of declarative memory: Episodic memory contains the memory of specific events that have occurred at a given time and in a given place. Semantic memory contains general knowledge of facts and people, for example, concepts and schemas and it is not linked to time and place.
Why is it important to distinguish between different types of memory?
This is important because it appears that different types of memory may be stored in different parts of the brain. Declarative memory (“knowing what”) is the memory of facts and events and refers to those memories that can be consciously recalled.
What is the most important store in the sensory model?
The most important stores in the model are the visual store (iconic memory) and the auditory store (echoic memory).
How many letters are stored in the viewer's memory?
Sperling believed that all 9 letters are stored in the viewer's memory for a short time but only some letters could be moved into short-term memory and named as the memory fades rapidly, and the information disappears.
How many items can a person store?
Miller (1956) conducted an empirical study that showed that most people could only store around 7 unrelated independent items (numbers, letters, words etc.).
What are some examples of sensory stores?
There are many sensory stores, the two important examples of sensory stores are: visual sensory memory (iconic) and echoic memory.
How long is short term memory?
Duration of short-term memory is longer than sensory memory, approx. 18 - 20 seconds but can occasionally reach 30 seconds
What is the effect of the last few items in a list?
This effect is when the final few items in a list are recalled well, when compared with middle items, during a free recall test. This is usually attributed to the final words being retained in short-term memory.
What is the process of information being extracted/taken from memory?
3) Retrieval: Process of information being extracted/taken from memory
Why do memories get distorted?
Memories can be distorted when retrieved as we fill in gaps to create a more meaningful memory
What is the multi store model of memory?
The Multi Store Model of Memory consists of three stores, the Sensory Memory (SM), the Short Term Memory (STM) and the Long Term Memory (LTM). Information has to pass in a linear sequence through Sensory Memory and Short Term Memory to get to Long Term Memory. It was created by Atkinson and Shiffrin in 1968.
How long does short term memory last?
Short Term Memory is the second store and according to Miller it has a capacity of 7+/- 2 pieces of information. It can last in the region of 18-30 seconds without rehearsal according to Peterson and Peterson. Baddeley found that information in STM is encoded acoustically. If maintenance rehearsal takes place it will remain in STM or be forgotten through displacement.
What is the evidence for LTM and STM?
This also supports Atkinson and Shiffrin’s claims that the LTM and STM are unitary stores.
What is the strength of the unitary model?
A particular strength of this model is that it is supported by evidence from lots of sources, such as case studies, lab experiments and neurological scans. For example, K.F, a patient who underwent brain surgery to cure a disease, however this resulted in permanent brain damage and the inability to transfer information from STM to LTM so that he could no longer form Long Term Memories. This supports the concept that the stores are unitary as his STM was intact but had no accessibility to LTM.
What is the first store of information?
The first store is Sensory Memory which is the first place information will enter. This is because information enters the memory through the five senses. There are multiple different ways that the SM encodes information: the different senses that we have being; sight, smell, taste, touch and hearing. Only when attention is paid to the information will it pass into the STM, this was investigated by Sperling in 1960. He asked participants to look at a chart of letters which were only shown for 50 milliseconds. They were then asked to recall how many of the letters they could remember. Participants could only recall 4 letters even though they were aware of more. In theory participants should remember more than the average of 4 items, however this is not the case as the information decays during the 50 ms and cannot be recalled quickly enough before it fully deteriorates.
Is long term memory unitary?
This supports the idea that the long term memory and short term memory are unitary stores as the first words in the list have been stored in LTM whereas the last words are still in STM.
Is STM a unitary store?
In Contrast to this Seitz and Schumann-Hengsteler (2000) stated that the STM and LTM are not unitary stores. furthermore Baddeley and Hitch (1974) showed that short term memory is more than just one simple unitary store and comprises different components: The central executive, visuo-spatial. The model suggests rehearsal helps to transfer information into LTM but this is not essential. Why are we able to recall information which we did not rehearse such as swimming yet unable to recall information which we have rehearsed. Therefore, the role of rehearsal as a means of transferring from STM to LTM is much less important than Atkinson and Shiffrin claimed in their model.

The Multi-Store Model of Memory
- Atkinson and Shiffrin (1968) were among the first to suggest a basic structure of memory with their Multi-store Model [MSM] of memory. Although this model seems rather simplistic today, it sparked much research based on the idea that humans are information processors. The Multi-store model was suggested in the 1960s and is clearly inspired by computer science. The mode…
Evidence in Support of The Model
- In the biological chapter, we looked at the case study of HM (Milner,1966).This is just one example of biological evidence that STM and LTM are located in different stores in the brain. In Milner's study, HM had anterograde amnesia - that is, he could not transfer new information to long-term memory; however, he still had access to many of his memories prior to his surgery. H…
Evaluation of The Multi-Store Model of Memory
- Today the multi-store model is considered to be too simplistic. It reflects the knowledge available in the 1960s but it is an important model all the same because it has influenced our understanding of memory. First of all, it presents a good account of the basic mechanisms in memory processes (encoding, storage, and retrieval). Secondly, several e...