The Multi Store Model of Memory

Shiffrin et al proposed the Multi-Store Memory model which is a

structural model composing of 3 separate stores with information

passing between stores in a linear way. The 3 stores are the Sensory

memory (SM) , the Short-term memory (STM) and the

Long-term memory (LTM). The sensory memory receives constant

information from environmental stimuli through senses such as

eyes, ears, nose, hands, tongue and remains in the sensory memory

for very short-periods as it receives little attention. Through a person

giving these stimuli focused attention it becomes processed

into the short-term memory store (STM). Rehearsal maintains information

in the STM however it is still vulnerable to being forgotten

due to limited duration (decay) or being displaced by new incoming

information due to limited capacity (displacement). If rehearsed

and processed deep enough (e.g. through elaborative or maintenance

rehearsal) the information then passes to the long-term memory

store which has unlimited capacity and unlimited duration dependenton the level of processing of the information received.

While the LTM encoding is mainly semantic the STM encoding is

auditory with a capacity of 7 +/- 2 items and a duration of up to 18

seconds.

Research evidence by Glanzer et al demonstrated support for the

STM and LTM being different stores. Participants were tasked with

recalling word lists with earlier and later words more likely to be recalled

and this was known as the primacy and recency effect. This

Primacy effect occurs as the first words are transferred to LTM

while the Recency effect occurs as the last words are still within the

STM. Delays of 10 seconds or more before recall resulted in only a

primacy effect with only LTM affected. This highlighted the difference

in STM and LTM supporting the multi-store memory model

theory.

A major strength of this model is that the models predictions

around memory can be easily tested to verify whether it applies to

human...