Memory Memory Donald Hebb argued that it was doubtful that a chemical process could occur fast enough to accommodate immediate memory, yet remain stable enough to accommodate permanent memory. Hence, the present theory of three storage areas. It only lasts for only a few seconds, some believe it last only 300 milliseconds. It has unlimited capacity.
Selective attention determines what information moves from sensory memory to short-term memory .
STM is most often stored as sounds, especially in recalling words, but may be stored as images. STM is vulnerable to interruption or interference. This is relatively permanent storage. Information is stored on the basis of meaning and importance. Miller's Magic Number George Miller's classic 1956 study in found that the amount of information which can be remembered on one exposure is between five and nine items, depending on the information.