Multi Store Model Of Memory

Question 1

What is the Sensory Register in the Multi-Store Model?

Answer 1

• The Sensory Register is the first store in MSM.
• Duration: Less than 0.5 seconds
• Capacity: Very large
• Encoding: Modality-specific (e.g. iconic for vision, echoic for sound)
  Info must be attended to in order to pass into STM.

Question 2

Encoding

Answer 2

The conversion of information from stimuli into brainwaves in a particular format or MODE in which information is stored; e.g. visually

Question 3

Capacity

Answer 3

The amount of space which is available to hold information

Question 4

Duration

Answer 4

The length of time the memory store holds information

Question 5

What is the Multi-Store Model of Memory and who proposed it?

Answer 5

The Multi-Store Model (MSM) was proposed by Atkinson & Shiffrin (1968).
It suggests memory is made up of three separate stores:

Sensory Register
Short-Term Memory (STM)
Long-Term Memory (LTM)
Information flows linearly through these stores.

Question 6

What is the Sensory Register in the Multi-Store Model?

Answer 6

• the first part of the memory system.
• holds information from the environment briefly from all five senses (sight, smell, sound, touch, taste), in its original form.
• Duration: Less than 2 seconds
• Capacity: Limited
• Coding: Sense-specific
  (e.g. visual = iconic, sound = echoic)
• Only a small amount of info passes further—attention is needed for transfer to STM.

Question 7

What are the features of Short-Term Memory (STM)?

Answer 7

• Coding: Acoustically (sound-based)
• Duration: ~30 seconds (unless rehearsed)
• Capacity: 5–9 items or chunks (7±2)
• Uses maintenance rehearsal (repeating info to yourself) to keep info in STM or move it into LTM.

Question 8

What is Maintenance Rehearsal and why is it important in MSM?

Answer 8

Maintenance rehearsal is repeating information over and over to keep it in STM.
If repeated long enough, the info passes into Long-Term Memory (LTM). Without rehearsal, info decays from STM quickly.

Question 9

What are the features of Long-Term Memory (LTM)?

Answer 9

• Coding: Semantically (based on meaning)
• Duration: Potentially lifelong
• Capacity: Unlimited
  Info can only be accessed by transferring it back into STM via retrieval. LTM stores all info that has been rehearsed for a prolonged time.

Question 10

Evidence

Answer 10

P- High evidence
E- HM case study showed that After surgery to remove parts of his brain (including the hippocampus), HM could not form new long-term memories but could still recall short-term memories.
E- This supports the MSM’s distinction between STM and LTM as separate memory stores, as damage to one did not affect the other.

Question 11

Application

Answer 11

P- The MSM has practical applications, especially in improving memory retention in education.
E- For example, understanding that rehearsal can help transfer information from STM to LTM has led to teaching techniques that encourage repetition and active revision strategies.
E- This shows the model has real-world value and usefulness beyond theoretical understanding.

Question 12

Credibiilty

Answer 12

P- The model is limited because it views STM as a single unitary store.
E- The Working Memory Model (Baddeley & Hitch) shows STM has different parts, like the phonological loop and visuo-spatial sketchpad.
E- This means the MSM may oversimplify how memory actually works, reducing its credibility compared to more detailed models.

Question 13

How good is the research

Answer 13

P- The research used to support MSM often lacks ecological validity.
E- Studies like Peterson & Peterson used artificial tasks like recalling nonsense trigrams.
E- These don’t reflect how memory is used in real life, so the findings may not fully apply outside of a lab setting.