Atkinson-Shiffrin Model

Describes memory as containing three different types/stages of memory, with information needing to pass through each stage before it can move on to the next.

Three stages of memory outlined:

-       Sensory Memory

-       Short Term Memory

-       Long Term Memory

(Each stage uses the information processing procedure of encoding, storage and retrieval)

Information is received from the environment – passes from sensory memory to short-term memory – then to long term memory.

Each type of memory differs in its function, capacity (how much information it can hold) and the duration of how long information can be held in that type of memory.

SENSORY MEMORY (SM)

Definition: The entry point of the memory system in which all the stimuli that bombard our senses are retained in their original sensory form for a very brief time.

Function: Stores sensory impressions long enough for each impression to slightly overlap the next. This means that we view the world as continuous.

We attend to certain sensory information long enough for it to be transferred to short term memory.

Sensory information is stored in sensory registers (There is believed to be different sensory registers for each of the senses)

Duration: 0.2 – 4 seconds (sometimes up to 10 seconds)

Characteristics: We are not consciously aware of the majority of information that enters our sensory memory.

When we do not attend to sensory information and do not encode it, no further processing is completed and it fades away and is lost.

Visual and auditory information are stored in specific sensory registers: Iconic and echoic memory.

Iconic memory:

The name given to VISUAL sensory memory.

Even though these visual images are stored in iconic memory for about 0.2 – 0.4 seconds, this is still enough time to allow identification of the information to begin.

Echoic Memory:

The name given to auditory sensory information.

Iconic and echoic both store information in their original sensory form, however echoic memory stores information for slightly longer, which is for about 3 – 4 seconds. This is long enough for interpretation of the sound to occur.

Echoic memory needs to store information longer to allow accurate interpretation of sounds to occur, if it was shorter then we would not be able to link individual sounds together to make up words.