How does the multi-store model explain the flow of information through memory?
The multi-store model of memory (Atkinson and Shiffrin): the sensory register, short-term and long-term memory, the roles of attention and rehearsal, and an evaluation of the model.
A focused answer to Edexcel GCSE Psychology Topic 2, covering the multi-store model of memory (Atkinson and Shiffrin): the sensory register, short-term and long-term memory, attention and rehearsal, and an evaluation.
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What this dot point is asking
Edexcel wants you to describe and evaluate the multi-store model of memory proposed by Atkinson and Shiffrin. You must know the three stores (sensory register, short-term memory, long-term memory), how attention and rehearsal move information between them, and the strengths and weaknesses of the model. It is examined with describe, explain and evaluate questions, including extended-response items.
The three stores
- Sensory register
- Information from the senses (sight, sound, touch) enters here first. It has a large capacity but a very brief duration (a fraction of a second to about two seconds). Most of it is lost almost at once.
- Short-term memory (STM)
- If information in the sensory register is given attention, it passes into STM. STM has a limited capacity (about seven items) and a short duration (about 18 to 30 seconds without rehearsal), with mainly acoustic encoding.
- Long-term memory (LTM)
- If information in STM is rehearsed, it transfers into LTM, which has an effectively unlimited capacity and a very long duration (up to a lifetime), with mainly semantic encoding.
Attention and rehearsal
So the model is a one-way flow with feedback: sensory register, then (with attention) STM, then (with rehearsal) LTM, with retrieval bringing LTM information back into STM to be used.
Evaluating the model
Strengths. The model is supported by evidence. The primacy and recency effect (people recall the first and last items of a list best) suggests STM and LTM are separate stores, because the first items have been rehearsed into LTM and the last are still in STM. Case studies of amnesia show one store can be damaged while the other works, again suggesting separate stores.
Weaknesses. The model is oversimplified. It treats STM as a single store, but evidence suggests STM has several parts (for example handling sounds and images separately). It also overstates rehearsal: we remember many things without deliberately rehearsing them, and deep, meaningful processing matters more than the sheer amount of rehearsal. Because of this, later models break the stores down further.
Try this
Q1. What moves information from the sensory register into short-term memory? [1 mark]
- Cue. Attention.
Q2. Name the three stores of the multi-store model in order. [3 marks]
- Cue. Sensory register, short-term memory, long-term memory.
Q3. Explain one weakness of the multi-store model. [2 marks]
- Cue. It is too simple, for example treating STM as one store or overstating rehearsal over deep processing.
Exam-style practice questions
Practice questions written in the style of Pearson Edexcel exam questions on this dot point, with worked answer explainers. The year tag is the paper they imitate, not the source.
Edexcel 20194 marksDescribe the multi-store model of memory. (Paper 1)Show worked answer →
A 4-mark Describe item rewards the three stores in order and the processes that move information between them.
Information from the environment first enters the sensory register, which holds it very briefly. If it is paid attention to, it passes into short-term memory, which holds about seven items for around 18 to 30 seconds. If it is rehearsed (repeated), it transfers into long-term memory, which has unlimited capacity and long duration. Information can be retrieved from long-term memory back into short-term memory when needed, and unattended or unrehearsed information is lost.
Markers reward the three stores (sensory register, STM, LTM), attention moving information from the register to STM, and rehearsal moving it from STM to LTM. A diagram-style sequence scores well.
Edexcel 20229 marksEvaluate the multi-store model of memory. (Paper 1)Show worked answer →
A 9-mark Evaluate item rewards strengths, weaknesses and a conclusion.
Strengths: the model is supported by evidence, including studies showing separate stores (for example the primacy and recency effect, where the first and last items in a list are recalled best, suggesting LTM and STM are separate), and case studies of amnesia where one store is damaged but not the other. It is clear and influential, shaping later memory research.
Weaknesses: the model is oversimplified. It treats short-term memory as a single store, but evidence (such as patients who could process some information but not others) suggests STM has several parts. It also overstates rehearsal: we remember many things without rehearsing them, and the type of processing (deep, meaningful processing) matters more than the amount of rehearsal.
Conclusion: the model was a valuable first account and is well supported in outline, but it is too simple, so later models split the stores further. Markers reward developed points on both sides, named evidence, a justified conclusion and clear written communication.
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Sources & how we know this
- Pearson Edexcel GCSE (9-1) Psychology (1PS0) specification — Pearson Edexcel (2017)