This essay is going to discuss the need for an explanation of human memory, which proposes that memory is a set of stages rather than a single process. Flanagan (1997) defines memory as " the mental function of retaining data, the storage system holding the data, and the data which is retained." It is evident from reviewing the literature that an explanation of memory as a set of stages proves to be more understandable than as a single process, the theories of memory all providing information about how memory is structured and organised and the findings from the research studies inevitably pointing in the direction of memory existing as a set of stages rather than a single process. Therefore these are the areas which are to be outlined in this essay in order to understand the need to explain human memory as a set of stages.

The nature of memory can be explained as a set of stages that are necessary but not sufficient for memory to have taken place. These involve "input" -registering or encoding information, where a memory trace is formed from translating the sensory data, "storage" which is either te

mporary or permanent and "output" which involves retrieval - memories would be useless unless they could be retrieved. It is these stages that form the fundamental characteristics of the process of memory and in order for this to occur it is necessary for the data to become engaged in the memory structure. Memory structure can be separated into three distinct categories, sensory memory (input store) where the sensory data remains unchanged in the mind for a brief time but is rapidly lost through decay; short -term memory- which has a relatively limited capacity (approximately seven items) with rapid decay being prevented through rehearsal and finally long-term memory which is a relatively permanent st!

The evidence described above suggests three quite distinct stores, the theories of memory all provide information about how memory is structured and organised, e.g. Atkinson and Shiffrin (1968)- the multistore model, based on empirical evidence and from which many subsequent theories were derived e.g. the working memory model, Baddeley and Hitch (1974). In most cases in association with the research studies. Therefore in regard to the question being addressed the need for memory to be explained in terms of a set of stages rather than a single process stems from the evidence provided from the empirical studies. It is apparent from these studies that there are three quite separate stores, this can not be disputed, however there are certain areas in the research that do not appear to be fully explained. For example, is it totally possible that the long term memory has an unlimited capacity, surely the information which is not readily accessible or available simply has not been s!

In conclusion, the question posed was to "discuss the need for an explanation of human memory, which proposes that memory is a set of stages, rather than a single process". When trying to discuss this need it became apparent that the fact that memory is not a concrete article made it all the more important that it was explained as a set of stages. This may be because as a set of stages, the complex structure of memory is all the more understandable and the theories of memory put together a "story" of how the memory process may work. However, most if not all theories or models describe rather than explain the memory process (providing a guideline) therefore the empirical evidence is really the only key in explaining why memory is a set of stages rather than a single process and it is from these that the " need " is derived.

only a primacy effect - with the long term memory only being effected. This is relevant in that it shows the difference in long and short term memory; with primacy being due to the fact that the first items are more likely to have e

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Approximate Word count = 1854
Approximate Pages = 7 (250 words per page double spaced)