Briefly describe Atkinson & Shiffrin's multi-store model of memory.

The Short-term memory (STM) is temporary and lasts for about 20-30 seconds. When remembering numbers such as phone numbers the memory captivity is 7 numbers (+/-2). If the information is rehearsed then it is transferred to the long-term memory. If the information is not rehearsed it will decay and become forgotten.

The information stored in the short-term memory is encoded using acoustic and articulatory methods. Acoustic methods are when people store the sound of the information in their mind. However homophones (words that sound alike e.g. “sat” and “mat”, can confuse the mind. Similar sounding letters such as “M” and “N “can also confuse the mind. Articulatory methods are when people use the way it sounds and is pronounced to remember and store the information in their short-term memory.

The Long-term memory (LTM) is permanent and it is generated from rehearsal of information in the short-term memory. It has an unlimited captivity and the information is stored for a lifetime.

The information stored in the long-term memory is encoded using semantic coding. Semantic coding is when you give a meaning to something, e.g. If the words to remember are “Cat, Mat, Sat” then you could remember “The cat sat on the mat” Also the mind can try and find patterns and links in the information, e.g. the words are “Big, Large, Giant, Huge, Massive”, then the link is that they're alternatives for the word "Big"

To recall information it transfers from long-term memory back to the short-term memory through rehearsal.