SM, STM, LTM

information stays in the SM for around 1second and the storage is extremely limited. Information can stay in the STM for around 15-30seconds and the storage for this is limited. LTM can hold unlimited amounts of information and the information it holds can last forever.
                         

Multi-store Model of Memory

The information goes into the sensory memory (SM)  and you must pay attention for it to go to the short term memory (STM) , items are often stored into the STM for around 15-30seconds. Then two things could happen; If a lot of information is taken in then it would apply to the rule of first in first out (FIFO) or if the information is rehearsed it would flow into the long term memory (LTM). When information is in the LTM storage it would stay there forever. LTM doesn't have a certain amount of information it could store as it can hold every single piece of information and there isn't a time period for information staying in LTM, once the information is there then it would stay there, forever. There are only two ways of which information can leave the LTM, displacement and amnesia. Displacement occurs when we don't remind ourselves of what is in our LTM, so we eventually forget. Amnesia is like a kind of brain damage, there are two types of amnesia, Retrograde amnesia and Antrograde amnesia. Retrograde amnesia is when the person cannot remember things which happened before the amnesia occurred and Antrograde amnesia is when everything after the amnesia occurs is forgotten. If a memory is displaced or forgotten then the person can never get that memory back, it will be lost forever, however you may make up the memories as if you can actually remember them but that would only occur when you are told about the memory.