What is the Atkinson and Shiffrin 1968 study?
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The Atkinson-Shiffrin model is a theory of human memory that was proposed by Richard Atkinson and Richard Shiffrin in 1968. Show Discover 30 more articles on this topic Essentially, both men used this model to show that the human memory could be broken down into three different memory stores:
The concept of sensory memory was originally left out of their 1968 model before being added later. Our senses experience different things in terms of sight, hearing, touch, feeling and taste but only a fraction of this is remembered. This was the basis of the Atkinson-Shiffrin model which showed how each of the above forms of memory worked. Sensory MemoryWe take in enormous amounts of information through our senses but the vast majority of it cannot be processed correctly due to the limitations of our memory. Information not attended to immediately is held in our sensory memory which holds onto this knowledge for a very short period of time. All of our senses have sensory memory systems but the systems focused on by the Atkinson-Shiffrin model relate to sight and sound known as iconic and echoic memory respectively. Iconic memory lasts less than half a second while echoic memory ceases after three or four seconds.  Short-Term Memory (STM)This relates to memories of information which is retained by our senses long enough for it to be used. An example of this is a telephone number which needs to be remembered before being dialed. The Peterson and Peterson study of 1959 showed that Short-Term Memory (STM) lasts for less than 30 seconds unless the information is attended to within that timeframe. The 1956 Miller study stated that seven (plus or minus two) pieces of information can be learned in that 30 second period. Yet this has been disputed since, with the belief that STM varies depending on conditions. Long-Term Memory (LTM)The Atkinson-Shiffrin model believed that STM could be transferred to Long-Term Memory (LTM) if the information was processed and learned fast enough. LTM has a limitless capacity and is capable of lasting a lifetime. This basically means we never lose the ability to store new information regardless of how long we live. CriticismsThe fact that the Atkinson-Shiffrin model is extremely linear has drawn criticism from psychologists who state that this model does not account for STM and LTM memory stores. Though this model was an excellent base for further memory theories to be espoused, its rigidity appears to be its biggest Achilles Heel. For example, autistic savants have the ability to perfectly recall exact figures and facts without ever having to rehearse. The Atkinson-Shiffrin model suggests that memories decay over time yet certain savants appear capable of total recall decades later. Therefore, it may be too simplistic to suggest that every mind possesses exactly three memory stores. There are also rare occasions when STM is damaged but LTM is not. According to the Atkinson-Shiffrin model, this should not be possible. Their model suggests that information that cannot get through STM should never be encoded in LTM. This is the earliest and most simplistic model and can no longer be taken as Gospel. More advanced models with the benefits of modern research should take precedence though the Atkinson-Shiffrin model cannot be discounted entirely.
Publisher SummaryThis chapter presents a general theoretical framework of human memory and describes the results of a number of experiments designed to test specific models that can be derived from the overall theory. This general theoretical framework categorizes the memory system along two major dimensions. The first categorization distinguishes permanent, structural features of the system from control processes that can be readily modified or reprogrammed at the will of the subject. The second categorization divides memory into three structural components: the sensory register, the short-term store, and the long-term store. Incoming sensory information first enters the sensory register, where it resides for a very brief period of time, then decays and is lost. The short-term store is the subject's working memory; it receives selected inputs from the sensory register and also from long-term store. The chapter also discusses the control processes associated with the sensory register. The term control process refers to those processes that are not permanent features of memory, but are instead transient phenomena under the control of the subject; their appearance depends on several factors such as instructional set, the experimental task, and the past history of the subject. Cited by (0)Copyright © 1968 Academic Press Inc. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. What is the theory of Atkinson and Shiffrin?The multi-store model of memory (also known as the modal model) was proposed by Richard Atkinson and Richard Shiffrin (1968) and is a structural model. They proposed that memory consisted of three stores: a sensory register, short-term memory (STM) and long-term memory (LTM).
What is the Atkinson and Shiffrin model and the Order of memory processing?In order for a memory to go into storage (i.e., long-term memory), it has to pass through three distinct stages: Sensory Memory, Short-Term Memory, and finally Long-Term Memory. These stages were first proposed by Richard Atkinson and Richard Shiffrin (1968).
What does Atkinson and Shiffrin rehearsal mean?Atkinson & Shiffrin originally proposed that the Rehearsal Loop worked by repeating (looping) information over and over. This is Maintenance Rehearsal and it is similar to rote learning. Raaijmakers & Shiffrin (2003) later proposed another type of rehearsal – Elaborative Rehearsal.
How does the AtkinsonAccording to the Atkinson-Shiffrin model, if memories in the short-term store are rehearsed, they will be encoded into the long-term store. The long-term store has a capacity and duration that is so large it is without any known limit, and it stores memories even if they are not actively recalled.
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