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Multi Store Model

Proposed by Atkinson and Shiffrin

Suggested that memory consisted of THREE DISTINCT COMPONENTS: sensory store, STM and LTM

Suggested that information travels in a ‘FIXED SEQUENCE’

Information first enters the sensory store - consisting of 5 stores, one for each sense. Attention is required for information to be transferred from the sensory store into STM

STM memory is only able to hold a limited amount of information (5-9 items) for a brief period of time (approximately 20 seconds) and it encodes information acoustically. In contrast LTM has an unlimited capacity, has an indefinite duration (e.g. a memory could last a few minutes or a life time) and finally it encodes information semantically (via meaning). In order for info to travel from STM to LTM it has to be rehearsed. Forgetting can occur at any one stage.