5A Atkinson-Shiffrin multi-store model of memory

What is memory?

The process of encoding, storing and retrieving information that has been previously encountered

What is the AS model?

A model that outlines the three seperate stores of memory, each of which interact through the process of encoding, storage and retrieval

What are the three seperate stores of memory?

• Sensory memory

• Short term memory

• long term memory

What is rehearsal?

A control process which involves consciously repeating or manipulating information in short term memory

• Maintenance rehearsal

• Elaborative rehearsal

What is retrieval?

The process of accessing information that has been stored in the long term memory and bringing to conscious awareness in short term memory

What is sensory memory?

A store of memory which very briefly stores raw information detected by the senses

• has unlimited capacity however has a duration of 0.2-4 seconds

• You do not pay attention to all sensory info

• Only attended info is transferred to STM

• Iconic memory - visual

• Echoic memory - auditory

What is short term memory?

Store of memory that holds limited amounts of information that is consciously being attended too and manipulated.

• comes from both sensory and LTM

• limited to 5-9 items and duration is 12-18 up to 30 seconds

• Involves maintenance and elaborative rehearsal

• If memory not encoded into LTM, , it will decay

What is long term memory?

Store of memory in which a potentially unlimited amount of info is stored for a relatively permanent amount of time

• can be retrieved and brought into STM

• Potentially unlimited storage, research still conducted on duration

What are the strengths of this model?

• Distinguishes differences between stores of memory

• Outlines different capacity and duration

• Provides good understanding of structure and process of memory

• Is supported by research

What are the weaknesses if the model?

• Oversimplified

• STM is more complex

• Ignores factors which can facilitate learning

• Proposed rehearsal is necessary but it is not

• Does not account for individual differences