A Systemic Lens on the Multi-store Model/Modal Model

The Modal Model (MM) is part of every Intro to Psychology or Cognition course and textbook because it provides a generalized, simple, and clear structure of how memory works. Because of its intuitive structure and simplicity, the model has been used for more than 50 years and the original paper upon which it is based has been cited over 11,000 times. The MM has received both wide support and some valid criticism but remains, generally speaking, a useful model for some applications of mind. This paper elucidates some of the more specific processes at play, specifically in the attentional, rehearsal, and encoding processes that act as gates to sensory, short, and long term memory and retrieval. It further points to the important role metacognition (i.e., DSRP awareness) plays in a subject’s agency regarding the modal mind process.