Multistore Model of Memory (MSM)

Multistore Model of Memory (MSM)

1. Atkinson and Shiffrin (1968)

2. Memory consists of three types of memory stores

   • Sensory Stores
   • Short term store (STS
   • Long term store (LTS)

3. Sensory Stores

   • --(attention)-->
     • Short term Store
       • <--(rehearsal)-->
         • Long term store
           • <--( retrieval)
       • Information in the STS may then be passed on to the LTS
     • Some of that information in passed on to short-term store
   • Information received by the senses registers in the sensory stores

4. Control Processes

   • The flow of information between the stores is managed by a number of control processes

5. Differences between the three memory stores

   • Duration
     • How long information can be stored
     • Sensory Stores
       • Even though they are of unlimited capacity, the information decays quickly (and is therefore lost).
       • ECHOIC MEMORY --> 2-4 seconds
       • ICONIC MEMORY --> a fraction of a second - 1 seconds
     • STS
       • Several seconds to half a minute
     • LTS
       • Can last up to a lifetime
   • Capacity
     • How much information can be stored
     • Sensory stores are of unlimited capacity.
       • ICONIC MEMORY --> Lasts for a fraction of a second to 1 second.
       • ECHOIC MEMORY --> Auditory sensory store. Registers in an acoustic- a sound based code (sounds). Lasts for around 2-4 seconds
     • STS .
       • Very limited capacity. It can only story about 7 units of information at any one time
     • LTS
       • Unlimited capacity
   • Coding
     • In what form information can be stored
     • STS
     • LTS
       • Uses a semantic code based on meaning so what is stored here is the meaning of the information processed
     • Sensory Stores
       • ICONIC MEMORY --> the visual sensory store. Stored in visual form (images).
       • ECHOIC MEMORY --> Auditory sensory store. Registers in an acoustic- a sound based code (sounds).

6. Control Processess

   • Attention
     • Responsible for the transfer of information from the sensory stores to the STS
     • Only information that is atteneded to while it is in the sensory stores gets transferred to the STS
   • Retrieval
     • Information is recalled from the LTS by retrieval, which brings information back to the STS