The Multi Store Model explores the cognitive process of memory.

The information we gain from our senses is stored into different memory slots, and if rehearsed goes to our Long Term Memory. Atkinson and Shiffrin came up with the multi-store model in 1968. This was the first theory and model that explained the process of memory. The model suggests that memory can be stored in three different compartments and that memory processes are sequential. The first store is the sensory memory; this is where all information taken in goes and is split into sections dictated by our five senses. Although this store has unlimited capacity the information stays in this section for only a few seconds and then moves to the next store, Short Term Memory. The other information that is not attended to decays. If the information is overtly or covertly rehearsed it will move on to the Short term memory and according to the model information only stay there for 6 to 12 seconds and only 7 items can be recalled at a time. If the information is not rehearsed it will not stay withing our memory and will be displaced. If it is rehearsed it may move to the next store, Long Term Memory or it may just stay in your Short Term Memory. Once information is stored in the long term memory it lasts for a long time and is stored in different forms. In this store information is normally stored semantically and when the information is needed it can be retrieved to the short term memory. When memories are being retrieved from our long term memory to our short term memory, our memories can be distorted as we fill in the gaps to create meaningful memory. Baddeley did an experiment where he gave participants four lists of words to remember (List 1 contained similar sounding words while list 2 contained non similar sounding words, list 3 contained words with similar meanings while list 4 contained words with non similar meaning).He found that the immediate recall for list 2 was better than for list 1 and with little difference between list 3 and 4. He also found that after twenty minutes list 4 was recalled better than list three and that there was little difference in the recall of lists 1 and 2. Telling Baddeley that in short term memory acoustic encoding is used therefore participants confuse words that sound similar and in long term memory semantic encoding is used therefore when words with similar meanings get confused. The Multi Store Model is simplistic, however it does explain the sequential organization of memory.