The Multi-Store Model of Memory

Sensory register

• Iconic and echoic stores with very brief duration
• High capacity
• Transfer by attention

STM

• Limited capacity and duration store
• Mainly acoustic coding
• Transfer to LTM by rehearsal

LTM

• Unlimited capacity and duration
• Permanent store
• Mainly semantic
• Created through maintenance rehearsal

Supporting research evidence

• Studies into coding, capacity and duration demonstrate differences between STM and LTM.

There is more than one type of STM

• Studies of amnesia (e.g. KF) show different STM for visual and auditory material.

There is more than one type of rehearsal

• Elaborative rehearsal necessary for transfer to LTM, not maintenance rehearsal.

Evaluation extra

• Artificial materials
• There is more than one type of LTM