The multi-store model of memory | AQA A-Level Psychology Revision
Updated: Sep 9
For 7182 specification, first teach in September 2025
AQA A-Level Psychology | Free Revision Notes
Estimated study time: 35 minutes
These Multi-store model of memory A-Level Psychology revision notes explain how information is received, stored and retrieved. The model describes memory as three separate stores: the sensory register, short-term memory and long-term memory. Information moves between them through attention, rehearsal and retrieval. This lesson introduces the overall structure of the model. The detailed coding, capacity and duration of each store are explored separately.
Learning Objectives 🎯
By the end of this revision page, you should be able to:
Describe the sensory register.
Describe short-term memory and long-term memory.
Explain how attention transfers information into short-term memory.
Explain the role of maintenance rehearsal.
Explain how information is transferred into and retrieved from long-term memory.
Apply the model to unfamiliar examples of remembering and forgetting.
Revision Notes đź“š
What is the multi-store model of memory?
The multi-store model of memory describes memory as a system containing three separate stores:
The sensory register
Short-term memory
Long-term memory
Each store holds information at a different stage of processing.
Information does not automatically pass through the entire system. Psychological processes determine whether it moves from one store to another.
These processes are:
Attention
Maintenance rehearsal
Retrieval
The basic sequence is:
Environmental stimulus → sensory register → attention → short-term memory → maintenance rehearsal → long-term memory
When information is required later, it is retrieved:
Long-term memory → retrieval → short-term memory
A simple overview of the model
Stage | What happens |
Environmental input | Information reaches the senses |
Sensory register | Sensory information is held very briefly |
Attention | Selected information moves into short-term memory |
Short-term memory | Information is held in immediate conscious awareness |
Maintenance rehearsal | Information is repeated to keep it active and transfer it to long-term memory |
Long-term memory | Information is stored for later use |
Retrieval | Stored information is brought back into short-term memory |
The model is called multi-store because it proposes that the sensory register, short-term memory and long-term memory are structurally separate.
The sensory register
The sensory register is the first memory store.
It receives information from the environment through the senses, including:
Sight
Sound
Touch
Smell
Taste
Large amounts of sensory information are continually entering the register.
For example, while sitting in a classroom, the sensory register may receive information about:
The teacher’s voice.
The words on the board.
The sound of chairs moving.
The colour of the walls.
The temperature of the room.
People walking past the window.
You do not consciously process all of this information. Most sensory input disappears very quickly because it is not selected for further processing.
Modality-specific sensory stores
The sensory register is made up of different stores for different types of sensory information.
Two commonly identified examples are:
Iconic memory, which receives visual information.
Echoic memory, which receives auditory information.
The sensory information is stored in the same general form in which it was received.
For example:
A briefly seen shape enters the visual sensory register.
A briefly heard word enters the auditory sensory register.
Detailed comparisons between sensory, short-term and long-term storage are covered in the features of the three memory stores.
Attention
Attention is the process that transfers selected information from the sensory register into short-term memory.
A person must focus on part of the available sensory input for it to receive further processing.
For example, during a lesson:
The sensory register receives the teacher’s voice, background noises and visual information.
The student attends to the teacher’s explanation.
The selected information enters short-term memory.
Information that is not attended to is unlikely to enter short-term memory.
The basic process is:
Sensory input → attention → short-term memory
Applying attention
Imagine that Freya is reading a message while someone announces a room change.
The announcement enters Freya’s sensory register, but she is concentrating on her phone and does not attend to it. A few moments later, she cannot report what was said.
The multi-store model would explain this by stating that:
The sound entered the sensory register.
Freya did not direct her attention towards it.
The information was not transferred into short-term memory.
It therefore did not become available for further rehearsal or long-term storage.
This is different from information entering long-term memory and later becoming difficult to retrieve. In Freya’s case, the information may never have progressed beyond the sensory register.
Short-term memory
Short-term memory, or STM, is the store used to hold information that is currently being processed or consciously considered.
Examples include:
Keeping a telephone number in mind long enough to enter it.
Remembering the start of a sentence while reading its ending.
Holding directions in mind while beginning a journey.
Thinking about the question you are currently answering.
Remembering a price while comparing it with another.
Information enters short-term memory when attention is directed towards it.
Once information is in STM, it may:
Be used immediately.
Be kept active through rehearsal.
Be transferred into long-term memory.
Be forgotten if it is not maintained.
Short-term memory as conscious awareness
In the multi-store model, STM is the store in which information is consciously available for immediate use.
For example, when someone asks you to calculate 18 + 7, the numbers must be held in immediate awareness while you complete the calculation.
When you remember information from long-term memory, the model proposes that it is retrieved into STM so that you can consciously use it.
This means STM receives information from two directions:
From the sensory register through attention.
From long-term memory through retrieval.
Maintenance rehearsal
Maintenance rehearsal means repeating information to keep it active in short-term memory.
For example, someone may repeat a temporary access code:
“Four, nine, two, six. Four, nine, two, six.”
The repetition prevents the information from being immediately lost while it is needed.
According to the multi-store model, continued rehearsal can also help transfer information from short-term memory into long-term memory.
The process is:
Information enters STM → information is rehearsed → information remains active → continued rehearsal transfers it to LTM
Two functions of maintenance rehearsal
Maintenance rehearsal has two functions within the model.
Keeping information in short-term memory
Repeating information prevents it from being immediately lost before it is used.
For example, repeating a seat number while walking through a theatre helps keep it available until the person finds the correct row.
Transferring information to long-term memory
Continued repetition increases the likelihood that information will be stored in long-term memory.
For example, repeatedly rehearsing a definition during revision may help the student remember it later.
Maintenance rehearsal is therefore both:
A way of retaining information temporarily.
A process for transferring information into long-term storage.
Applying rehearsal
Zain is given a six-digit code.
In the first situation, he repeats the code several times before entering it. He remembers it long enough to use it.
In the second situation, another person begins talking to him before he can repeat the code. Zain forgets it.
The multi-store model would explain the difference by stating that:
The code entered short-term memory in both situations.
In the first situation, maintenance rehearsal kept it active.
In the second situation, rehearsal was interrupted.
Without rehearsal, the code was not maintained in STM.
Whether it later enters long-term memory would depend on whether it receives continued rehearsal.
Long-term memory
Long-term memory, or LTM, is the store used for information retained beyond immediate conscious processing.
Long-term memories may include:
Knowledge learned at school.
Memories of past events.
Names of familiar people.
Meanings of words.
Skills and procedures.
Personal experiences.
Facts needed for an examination.
Information is transferred from STM into LTM through maintenance rehearsal within the model.
Unlike STM, information in LTM is not necessarily in conscious awareness at all times. It must be retrieved when it is needed.
Long-term memory and storage
Long-term memory allows information to remain available after it is no longer being actively rehearsed.
For example, a student may learn the meaning of “maintenance rehearsal” during a lesson. The student is not continuously thinking about the definition for the next several months.
The information is stored in LTM and can later be retrieved when the student:
Completes a practice question.
Revises the memory topic.
Discusses the model in class.
Sits an examination.
The detailed characteristics of LTM are explored through coding, capacity and duration.
Retrieval
Retrieval is the process of bringing information from long-term memory back into short-term memory so that it can be consciously used.
The process is:
Information stored in LTM → retrieval → information enters STM → information becomes consciously available
Examples of retrieval include:
Recalling a definition during an examination.
Remembering a friend’s telephone number.
Recalling the route to a familiar place.
Remembering the name of a psychologist.
Bringing a past event to mind.
According to the model, information is not used directly while remaining entirely within LTM. It is retrieved into STM.
Applying retrieval
During revision, Amira learned the three stores in the multi-store model.
Two weeks later, she sees an examination question asking her to name them. She remembers the sensory register, short-term memory and long-term memory.
The model would explain this by stating that:
The names were transferred from STM into LTM during learning.
They remained stored in LTM.
The examination question prompted retrieval.
The information returned to STM.
Amira could then consciously use it to answer the question.
This connects with retrieval failure caused by missing cues, although the present lesson focuses on the structure of the multi-store model rather than evaluating explanations of forgetting.
The complete flow of information
The full process can be summarised as follows:
Stage 1: Environmental input
A stimulus is detected by the senses.
Example: A teacher says, “The test is on Thursday.”
Stage 2: Sensory register
The sound of the statement briefly enters the auditory sensory register.
Stage 3: Attention
The student focuses on the announcement.
Stage 4: Short-term memory
The date of the test enters conscious awareness.
Stage 5: Maintenance rehearsal
The student repeats, “The test is on Thursday,” or thinks about it several times.
Stage 6: Long-term memory
The information is stored for later use.
Stage 7: Retrieval
On Wednesday evening, the student remembers that the test is the following day.
Remembering according to the multi-store model
Successful remembering requires information to complete the relevant stages of the model.
For information to become a long-term memory:
It must enter the sensory register.
It must receive attention.
It must enter short-term memory.
It must be maintained through rehearsal.
It must transfer into long-term memory.
It must later be retrieved successfully.
A failure at any stage may result in forgetting.
Forgetting from the sensory register
Information may be forgotten because it does not receive attention.
For example, a student walks past a noticeboard without noticing a change to the examination timetable.
The visual information may have entered the sensory register, but it was not selected for further processing.
The model would explain the forgetting as follows:
No attention → no transfer to STM → no rehearsal → no long-term storage
It would be inaccurate to say that the student retrieved the information incorrectly because it may never have entered long-term memory.
Forgetting from short-term memory
Information in STM may be forgotten when it is not rehearsed.
For example, someone is told a room number but is immediately distracted by a conversation.
The room number may have entered STM, but the distraction prevents rehearsal. The person can no longer report it a few moments later.
The model would explain this by stating that the information was not maintained or transferred into LTM.
Forgetting information stored in long-term memory
Information may have been stored in long-term memory but fail to become consciously available when needed.
Within the multi-store model, this involves a failure to retrieve the information into STM.
For example, a student knows that they learned a psychologist’s name but cannot recall it during a practice question.
The information may still be stored in LTM but is not successfully retrieved into conscious awareness.
More detailed explanations of forgetting are covered through proactive and retroactive interference and retrieval failure caused by missing cues.
Distinguishing failure to store from failure to retrieve
These are not the same problem.
Failure to store | Failure to retrieve |
Information does not reach long-term memory | Information reaches LTM but is not brought back into STM |
May occur because attention or rehearsal is absent | Occurs when stored information cannot be consciously recalled |
The memory was not successfully established | The memory may exist but is temporarily unavailable |
Example: ignoring an announcement | Example: being unable to recall a learned definition |
In application questions, identify the stage at which the problem occurred.
Applying the model to revision
Consider a student learning a definition from a textbook.
The words are seen and enter the visual sensory register.
The student directs attention towards the definition.
The information enters STM.
The student repeats the definition.
Continued rehearsal transfers it to LTM.
During an examination, the question prompts retrieval.
The definition returns to STM and is written down.
Simply looking at a page does not guarantee long-term learning. The model predicts that attention and rehearsal are necessary for information to progress through the system.
Applying the model to a conversation
Noah is introduced to someone at a party. He hears their name while looking across the room at another group. A few seconds later, he cannot remember the name.
The multi-store model could explain this because:
The name entered Noah’s auditory sensory register.
His attention was directed elsewhere.
The name may not have entered STM.
It was therefore not rehearsed or stored in LTM.
Alternatively, if Noah initially repeated the name but forgot it later, the explanation would need to focus on a later stage.
The exact scenario details determine which process should be applied.
Applying the model to a temporary code
A website sends Laila a one-time code. She reads it, repeats it and enters it successfully. Ten minutes later, she cannot remember it.
The model could explain that:
The code entered the sensory register through vision.
Attention transferred it into STM.
Rehearsal kept it active long enough to use.
Rehearsal may not have continued for long enough to produce durable long-term storage.
Once it was no longer maintained in STM, Laila forgot it.
This example shows that information can be remembered temporarily without becoming an accessible long-term memory.
Applying the model to an examination
Ethan revised the stages of the multi-store model repeatedly over several days. During the examination, he recalls them accurately.
The model would explain that:
Attention transferred the information from the sensory register to STM.
Maintenance rehearsal kept the information active.
Continued rehearsal transferred it into LTM.
The examination question triggered retrieval.
The information returned to STM for conscious use.
A developed application answer should explain each relevant process rather than simply state that Ethan has a good long-term memory.
The multi-store model and the working memory model
The multi-store model and the working memory model are different.
The multi-store model describes:
The sensory register.
Short-term memory.
Long-term memory.
Movement between the stores.
The working memory model gives a more detailed explanation of short-term mental processing through components such as the central executive, phonological loop, visuo-spatial sketchpad and episodic buffer.
Do not replace STM in the multi-store model with the components of working memory unless a question specifically asks you to compare the models.
Detailed evaluation and comparison are covered in evidence for and limitations of memory models.
A model, not a physical diagram of the brain
The multi-store model is a theoretical representation of how memory operates.
The boxes and arrows used to display the model do not mean that memories literally move through three boxes inside the brain.
Instead:
The boxes represent different memory stores.
The arrows represent processes that transfer information.
The model organises psychological ideas about remembering and forgetting.
When describing the model, focus on the functions of each store and the processes connecting them.
How to apply the model in an examination
Use this four-stage structure:
Identify the store or process.
Select a relevant detail from the scenario.
Explain what happens to the information.
State the effect on remembering or forgetting.
Weak application
Alex remembers because the information goes into long-term memory.
This does not explain how the information reached LTM.
Stronger application
Alex pays attention to the teacher’s explanation, transferring it from the sensory register into short-term memory. He then repeatedly rehearses the definition, which allows it to enter long-term memory. When the question appears in the test, the definition is retrieved into short-term memory.
Identifying processes from scenario clues
Scenario clue | Relevant process or store |
“Did not notice” | Attention may not have occurred |
“Focused on the announcement” | Attention transferred information to STM |
“Kept repeating it” | Maintenance rehearsal |
“Remembered it several weeks later” | Long-term storage and retrieval |
“Could hold it in mind briefly” | Short-term memory |
“Could not remember after being distracted” | Information may not have been maintained in STM |
“Knew it but could not bring it to mind” | Retrieval problem |
“Information from the senses” | Sensory register |
Hints from the Examiner Reports đź’ˇ
Examiner hint:Â Do not confuse the multi-store model with the working memory model. The multi-store model contains the sensory register, STM and LTM. The working memory model contains the central executive and its components.
Examiner hint:Â Use the connecting processes accurately. Information moves from the sensory register to STM through attention, from STM to LTM through maintenance rehearsal, and from LTM to STM through retrieval.
Examiner hint:Â When a question asks you to describe the model, include the stores and the processes connecting them. A list of the three stores alone is unlikely to provide a complete answer.
Examiner hint:Â Application requires explicit use of the scenario. Explain what the person attends to, rehearses or retrieves rather than simply naming a memory store.
Examiner hint:Â Do not add evaluation when a question only asks you to describe or explain. Use the available time and marks to provide accurate detail relevant to the command word.
Examiner hint:Â Keep terminology precise. Short-term memory is not automatically the same as every component of the working memory model.
Examiner hint: Avoid vague statements such as “the information goes into memory”. Name the exact store and the process responsible for the transfer.
Common Mistakes ⚠️
Mistake: Saying that all sensory information enters short-term memory
Why this is incorrect:
Only information that receives attention moves from the sensory register into STM.
How to improve:
State:
Sensory information enters the register, but attended information is selected for transfer to STM.
Mistake: Treating attention and rehearsal as the same process
Why this is incorrect:
Attention transfers information from the sensory register into STM. Rehearsal maintains information in STM and may transfer it to LTM.
How to improve:
Remember the direction of each process:
Attention: sensory register → STM
Rehearsal: STM → LTM
Mistake: Saying that rehearsal retrieves information
Why this is incorrect:
Rehearsal concerns information already in STM. Retrieval brings information from LTM back into STM.
How to improve:
Use retrieval when discussing recall of previously stored information.
Mistake: Leaving short-term memory out of the retrieval process
Why this is incorrect:
The model proposes that information retrieved from LTM returns to STM, where it becomes consciously available.
How to improve:
Write:
The memory is retrieved from LTM into STM.
Mistake: Assuming that information enters long-term memory immediately
Why this is incorrect:
The model proposes that information normally passes through the sensory register and STM before reaching LTM.
How to improve:
Describe the complete route and its connecting processes.
Mistake: Saying that repeating something once guarantees long-term storage
Why this is incorrect:
Rehearsal increases the likelihood of transfer, but a brief repetition does not guarantee that information will later be recalled.
How to improve:
Use cautious language:
Continued maintenance rehearsal helps transfer information into LTM.
Mistake: Confusing failure to attend with retrieval failure
Why this is incorrect:
When information receives no attention, it may never enter STM or LTM. Retrieval failure concerns information that has already been stored.
How to improve:
Identify whether the information was initially noticed and learned.
Mistake: Treating the sensory register as one single sense
Why this is incorrect:
The sensory register receives information through different sensory channels.
How to improve:
Refer to modality-specific stores such as iconic and echoic memory where relevant.
Mistake: Importing working memory components into the model
Why this is incorrect:
The central executive, phonological loop, visuo-spatial sketchpad and episodic buffer belong to the working memory model.
How to improve:
For a multi-store model question, focus on the sensory register, STM, LTM, attention, rehearsal and retrieval.
Mistake: Copying the scenario without explaining it
Why this is incorrect:
Writing that “Sofia repeats the number” does not fully apply the model.
How to improve:
Add the psychological effect:
Sofia’s repetition is maintenance rehearsal, which keeps the number active in STM.
Exam-Style Questions ✍️
Question 1
Which process transfers information from the sensory register into short-term memory?
A. Retrieval
B. Attention
C. Interference
D. Displacement
[1 mark]
reveal mark scheme and indicative content
Answer: B. Attention
Question 2
Name the three stores included in the multi-store model of memory.
[3 marks]
reveal mark scheme and indicative content
Mark scheme
AO1 = 3
Award 1 mark each for:
Sensory register.
Short-term memory (STM).
Long-term memory (LTM).
Question 3
Explain the role of maintenance rehearsal in the multi-store model.
[3 marks]
reveal mark scheme and indicative content
Mark scheme
AO1 = 3
Award 1 mark each for:
Maintenance rehearsal involves repeatedly rehearsing information.
Rehearsal keeps information available in STM.
Continued rehearsal can transfer information from STM into LTM.
Example answer
Maintenance rehearsal involves repeatedly going over information. This keeps the information in short-term memory and, if rehearsal continues, can transfer it into long-term memory.
Question 4
A receptionist tells Jamie a room number. Jamie is looking at a notification on his phone and does not notice what the receptionist says.
Use the multi-store model to explain why Jamie cannot remember the room number.
[4 marks]
reveal mark scheme and indicative content
Mark scheme
AO2 = 4
Award 1 mark each for:
The room number enters Jamie's sensory register.
Jamie is distracted by the phone notification.
He does not attend to the receptionist's information.
Therefore, the room number is not transferred into STM and is rapidly lost.
Example answer
The receptionist's words enter Jamie's sensory register, but Jamie is attending to the notification on his phone instead. Because he does not pay attention to the room number, it is not transferred into short-term memory and quickly disappears from the sensory register.
Question 5
Sana reads a temporary security code and repeats it several times while entering it into a website. Once she has used the code, she quickly forgets it.
Use the multi-store model to explain Sana’s temporary memory for the code.
[4 marks]
reveal mark scheme and indicative content
Mark scheme
AO2 = 4
Award 1 mark each for:
The security code enters STM.
Repeating the code is maintenance rehearsal.
Rehearsal keeps the code available temporarily in STM.
When she stops rehearsing it, it is lost from STM rather than remaining available in memory.
Example answer
The security code enters Sana's short-term memory. Repeating it is maintenance rehearsal, which keeps the code available while she enters it. Once she stops rehearsing the code, it is no longer maintained in STM and is quickly forgotten.
Question 6
Explain how information moves from the environment into long-term memory and how it later becomes consciously available.
[6 marks]
reveal mark scheme and indicative content
Mark scheme
AO1 = 6
Award 1 mark for each relevant stage, up to 6 marks.
Indicative content
Environmental information enters the sensory register.
Information that receives attention passes into STM.
Information in STM can be maintained through rehearsal.
Continued rehearsal can transfer information into LTM.
Information can remain stored in LTM.
Retrieval transfers information from LTM back into STM, where it becomes consciously available.
Example answer
Information from the environment first enters the sensory register. If it is attended to, it passes into short-term memory. Maintenance rehearsal keeps the information in STM and continued rehearsal can transfer it into long-term memory. When the information is needed later, it is retrieved from LTM back into STM, where it becomes consciously available.
Question 7
During revision, Eli concentrates on a definition and repeats it several times. Two weeks later, he recalls the definition during a test.
Use the multi-store model to explain Eli’s remembering.
[6 marks]
reveal mark scheme and indicative content
Mark scheme
AO2 = 6
Award marks for effective application of the stages of the multi-store model.
Indicative content
Eli attends to the definition.
It therefore enters STM.
Repeating it is maintenance rehearsal.
Rehearsal keeps it in STM and enables transfer to LTM.
It remains available in LTM over the two-week period.
During the test, Eli retrieves it from LTM into STM for conscious recall.
Example answer
Eli's attention to the definition allows it to enter short-term memory. Repeating it several times is maintenance rehearsal, which keeps it active in STM and helps transfer it into long-term memory. It can remain stored there for the two weeks. During the test, Eli retrieves the definition from LTM back into STM so that he can consciously recall it.
Question 8
Toby attends a lecture while messaging a friend. He later remembers the parts of the lecture that he wrote down and repeatedly revised, but he cannot remember an announcement made while he was reading the message.
Explain Toby’s remembering and forgetting using the multi-store model.
[8 marks]
reveal mark scheme and indicative content
Mark scheme
AO2 = 8
7–8 marks: Clear, accurate and detailed application of the multi-store model to both remembering and forgetting.
5–6 marks: Mostly effective application with some detail missing.
3–4 marks: Some relevant application but explanation is limited.
1–2 marks: Very limited application.
0 marks:Â No relevant content.
Indicative content
Lecture information initially enters the sensory register.
Toby attends to information he writes down, allowing it to enter STM.
Repeated revision provides maintenance rehearsal.
Rehearsed material can be transferred into LTM.
It can later be retrieved, explaining what he remembers.
The announcement also enters the sensory register.
Toby is attending to the message rather than the announcement.
The announcement therefore does not transfer effectively into STM and is lost.
Example answer
Information from the lecture initially enters Toby's sensory register. The material he pays attention to and writes down passes into short-term memory. Repeated revision acts as maintenance rehearsal, keeping the material active and transferring it into long-term memory, which explains why he can later retrieve it. However, when the announcement is made Toby is attending to his friend's message. Although the announcement briefly enters the sensory register, he does not attend to it, so it does not pass into STM and is quickly lost.
Question 9
Outline the multi-store model of memory. Refer to the sensory register, short-term memory, long-term memory and the processes connecting the stores.
[8 marks]
reveal mark scheme and indicative content
Mark scheme
AO1 = 8
7–8 marks: Knowledge of the three stores and the processes linking them is accurate and detailed. The answer is clear and uses specialist terminology effectively.
5–6 marks: Mostly accurate knowledge of the model with some detail missing.
3–4 marks: Some relevant knowledge but the account is limited or incomplete.
1–2 marks: Very limited knowledge of the model.
0 marks:Â No relevant content.
Indicative content
Memory consists of three separate stores:
sensory register
short-term memory
long-term memory
Environmental information first enters the sensory register.
Attention transfers information to STM.
STM has limited capacity and duration.
Maintenance rehearsal keeps information in STM.
Continued rehearsal can transfer information to LTM.
LTM has much greater capacity and duration.
Retrieval returns information from LTM to STM for conscious use.
AQA's 2023 mark scheme explicitly credits rehearsal as maintaining information and transferring rehearsed material into long-term memory.
Example answer
The multi-store model proposes three separate memory stores: the sensory register, short-term memory and long-term memory. Information from the environment first enters the sensory register. If attention is paid to it, it passes into STM. Information can be kept in STM through maintenance rehearsal, and continued rehearsal can transfer it into LTM. LTM has a much longer duration and larger capacity than STM. When stored information is needed, it is retrieved from LTM back into STM so that it can be consciously used.
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