The multi-store model

The multi-store model

1. Sensory memory

   • a short-duration store holding impressions of information received by the senses
   • Crowder- found that the SR only retains information in the iconic store for a few milliseconds but for 2 or 3 seconds within the echoic store.
   • After- images of visual events provide good evidence of sensory memories.
   • Calculating the capacity of sensory memory stores often involves experiments where participants have to evaluate cues. however, these only provide estimates of capacity and are highly artificial, lacking mundane realism.

2. Short-term memory

   • a temporary store holding small amounts of information for brief periods
   • Posner & Keele findings show that codes other than the acoustic one occur in the STM.
   • Other factor, like age also influence STM capacity and nowadays STM limitations are mostly seen as due to processing limitations associated with attention.

3. Long-term memory

   • a permanent store holding limitless amounts of information for long periods
   • Bahrick et al. showed 400 participants aged between 17-74 years a set of photos and list of names, some of which were ex school friends, and asked them to identify ex-school friends. The results suggested that memories for faces is long lasting.
   • There may be an evolutionary basis to LTM. suggesting that an enlarged memory capacity has a survival value, which has been acted upon by natural selection.
   • The capacity of the LTM is assumed to be limitless, as research has not been able to determine a finite capacity.