made up of 3 components
1. Sensory Register
2. Short-Term Working Memory
3. Long-Term Memory. It is know as a dual store
model because of its claim that short-term
memory and long-term memory are distinctly
different entities.
How it works: Information is received by the
sensory register then sent into short-term
memory where it either moved to long-term
memory or is lost. Information can also move
from long term memory to short-term memory
Sensory
Register
Short-Term
/Working
Memory
Long-Term
Memory
Input
Input
Input
Loss Loss Loss
1st component of the dual storage model.
Holds incoming information
Characteristics:
1. Capacityunlimited
2. Forms of Storage stored in the same way it
was sensed.
3. Durationremains for only a very brief time
then sent to working memory if needs to be
processed
Example seeing a trail of light from a waving
flashlight.
Definition: where info is mentally processed
Characteristics: has a limited capacity and can
handle only so much information at one time,
middle component of the Dual Store Model of
Memory
short term or working memory can access
information from both the sensory register
and long term memory.
1. Capacitylimited
2. Forms of Storage: “the magical number
seven plus or minus two” (p. 177)
3. Duration: approximately 5 to 20 seconds
is closely associated with working memory
information paid attention to moves onto
working memory (p. 172)
Motion
Size
Intensity
Novelty
Incongruity
Emotion
Personal significance
Social cues
Definition: memory for info over the long run
(p. 18); includes both procedural and
declarative knowledge
1.Capacity-Unlimited
2.Forms of Storage -explicit knowledge and
implicit knowledge
3.Duration: indefinitely long; “forgetting”
seems to be more of a retrieval process than
storage
Capacity Forms of
Storage
Duration
Sensory
Register
Unlimited Saved in same
form as which
it was sensed
Very brief 2 to 4
seconds
Working
Memory
Very limited
5-9 units of
information at
one time
Predominately
auditory form
Short 5-20 seconds
Long
Term
Memory
Unlimited Variety of
ways:
language,
sensory,
nonverbal.
Rarely saved
in the precise
way it is
encountered.
Theorists disagree.
Some believe you never
forget you just can’t
retrieve information.
Others feel you can
actually forget
information if it is not
used.