Memory Systems Memory is the retention and ability to recall information, personal experiences, and procedures (skills and habits). The Atkinson model of memory is made up of three information stores: a sensory memory, short term memory, and a long-term memory. Sensory memory: automatically registers any stimulation of sensory receptors and holds that information very briefly (less than 1 second for visual stimuli, a few seconds for auditory stimuli). Short-term memory: encoding involves an auditory form; rehearsal is required to retain information in STM; capacity or memory span is equal to seven, plus or minus two bits of infor