Multistore model of memory

• Multi-store memory model (MSM)

  Represents how memory is stored, transferred between the different stores, retrieved and forgotten
• Memory stores in the MSM

  • Sensory register
  • Short-term memory
  • Long-term memory
• Sensory register


  Contains one sub-store for each of the 5 senses, has a huge capacity but a duration of less than half a second
• Information passes from sensory register to short-term memory


  If we pay attention to it
• Short-term memory (STM)


  Acoustically encoded, capacity of 7+/- 2 items, duration of 18-30 seconds
• Maintenance rehearsal in STM

  1. Repeat new information to ourselves

  2. Allows information to be kept in STM

  3. Prolonged maintenance rehearsal allows information to pass into long-term memory (LTM)

  4. Lack of rehearsal causes forgetting
• Long-term memory (LTM)


  Semantically encoded, unlimited capacity, very long duration (over 46 years)
• Retrieval from LTM


  1. Information is transferred back into the STM

  2. Continues to pass through the maintenance loop afterwards
• Types of LTM


  • Procedural
  • Semantic
  • Episodic
• The MSM does not represent the different types of LTM, as it sees LTM as a single, unitary store
• The MSM does not represent that some types of LTM can be retrieved unconsciously (e.g. procedural) whilst others must be retrieved consciously (e.g. semantic)
• Amount of maintenance rehearsal


  Determines the likelihood that information will pass into the LTM
• Craik and Watkins (1973) suggest that it is the type of rehearsal which is more important, and that elaborative rehearsal is needed to transfer information from the STM into the LTM
• Differences between STM and LTM

  • STM is encoded acoustically, LTM is encoded semantically
  • STM has a much shorter duration than LTM
• The MSM incorrectly represents STM as a single, unitary store
• Shallice and Warrington found that their amnesiac patient KF had poor STM recall for auditory stimuli, but increasingly accurate recall for visual stimuli, suggesting multiple types of STM