3 - Multi - Store Model of Memory

Question 1

Describe sensory register

Answer 1

Environmental input received through senses enters SR.

Short duration store ( few milliseconds ) but large capacity

Separate sensory store for each sensor input (echoic store for auditory information, iconic store for visual information )

Either attended to and sent for further processing to STM or lost due to decay

Question 2

Describe short term memory

Answer 2

Information acoustically coded into STM from SR.

It is a temporary store for information before it is transferred into LTM.

Limited capacity of 7(+/- )2 so information can be displaced by new information.

Short duration of 18-30 seconds so information will decay quickly without rehearsal.

If there is enough maintenance rehearsal, or elaborative rehearsal then the information can be transferred to LTM for more permanent storage.

Question 3

Describe long term memory

Answer 3

If sufficient rehearsal in STM then semantically coded into LTM.

Permanent store.

Capacity is potentially infinite.
Duration is potentially a lifetime.

When information in LTM is needed it is retrieved by STM and then recalled.

Sometimes we can’t access it because of retrieval failure. Sometimes retrieval cues are enough to help us access it.