the multi-store model (msm) of memory

who created the msm?

atkinson and shiffrin in 1968

what did atkinson and shiffrin’s multi-store model claim that memory is made up of?

three separate unitary stores linked by processing

sensory register

where info is held at each of the senses. these sensory registers are constantly receiving and coding modality specific info but most of this receives no attention. the incoming data remains here for a very brief period as the sensory register has a vert large capacity but a very limited duration of less than 0.5 seconds

what happens if a persons attention is focused on the sensory register?

then the data is encoded and transferred into short-term memory (this is mainly through acoustic coding - based on how the info sounds). here it can be lost through displacement as the STM can only hold about 5-9 (7+ /-2) items and if this is overloaded, old info may be pushed out or decay as the duration of the STM is only 18-30 seconds so if maintenance rehearsal does not take place, short-term memories fade

what happens if the information is rehearsed and understood (elaborative rehearsal)?

it can be transferred into the different stores of LTM (this is mainly through semantic encoding - based on meaning). the LTM can hold an unlimited amount of info and can hold it for up to a lifetime. when info needs to be recalled from LTM it is retrieved from LTM into STM. atkinson and shiffrin proposed a direct link between rehearsal in STM and the strength of the LTM