ABSTRACT
This chapter provides an overview of models of memory and discusses issues of retention and storage. R. C. Atkinson and R. M. Shiffrin described the memory system in terms of a multistore model comprising three types of memory store: the short-term sensory storage (STSS), short-term memory (STM) and the long-term memory (LTM). Only information that is attended to is moved from STSS to the STM. The memory span for short-term memory is very short and holds information for a limited duration only, normally less than 60 s. The LTM is a store of well-learned past experiences and is used to compare against new experiences. There are a number of strategies that can be used to enhance memory. One of the most difficult types of memory task involves remembering information with very few cues, or recall. Any theory of memory must explain why information is forgotten over time.
