Outline research into the Multi Store Model of Memory (4 marks)

The multi store model of memory was proposed by Atkinson & Schiffrin (1968) and is a linear model representing how information flows through the human memory system. It is comprised of 3 independent stores; the sensory memory, short term memory and long term memory. These stores are linked by processes that facilitate the movement of information from one store to another. Each store is different in nature in terms of their capacity, duration and coding. For example, the short term memory has a limited capacity of 5-9items and duration of up to 30 seconds whilst the long term memory has an almost unlimited capacity and duration and is coded semantically (by meaning) rather than the acoustic coding of the short term memory store.