Describe and evaluate the multi-store model of memory. Refer to evidence in your answer. (16 marks)

Atkinson and Shiffrin proposed the multi-store model (MSM) as a description of the way information flows through the memory system. The model suggests that memory is made up of three stores linked by processes. Firstly, a stimulus from the environment will enter the sensory register (SR) which is made up of a store for each of the five senses. The two main stores are called the iconic memory whereby visual information is encoded visually and the echoic memory whereby auditory information is encoded acoustically. The sensory register has a duration of less than half a second however, it does have an unlimited capacity. Information from the sensory memory only passes through to the short term memory (STM) if attention is payed to it. One weakness of the MSM is that is states that STM is a unitary store. However, evidence from people suffering with amnesia shows that this is not the case. For, example, Shallice and Warrington studied a patient with amnesia know as KF. they found that KF's STM for digits was very poor when they read them aloud to him. But his ability to recall was much better when he was able to read them himself. Further studies also confirmed that their may be another STM store for non-verbal sounds. Therefore, the idea that STM is a unitary store is a weakness of the MSM because research shows that there must be at least one short-term store to process visual information and another one to process auditory information. (WMM)