AS Level PE 8386 · Area 7 · Information Processing

Memory

Memory is where the information processing model stores what it has taken in. Information passes through the short-term sensory store and short-term memory before it reaches long-term memory, and only what is attended to and rehearsed survives the journey. Motor programmes are held in long-term memory and recalled from it when a skill is performed. Students lose marks by confusing the capacity and duration of short-term and long-term memory.

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Syllabus coverage

  • Explain the memory process, to include the short-term sensory store, selective attention, short-term memory and long-term memory
  • Explain strategies to improve the storage of information in long-term memory

Part of the AS Level PE 8386 syllabus 8386.

The three memory storesShort-term sensory storeHolds the flood of informationcoming in through the senses.Very large capacity, very shortduration — most is discarded.Short-term memoryHolds what you are attending toright now. Roughly 7 items foraround 30 seconds. Must berehearsed or it is lost.Long-term memoryHolds well-learned information,including motor programmes.Effectively unlimited capacityand duration.Information moves left to right. Rehearsal and practice carry it into long-term memory;if it is not attended to or rehearsed, it is forgotten.Exam link:a cognitive performer's movement is not yet in long-term memory, so it must be rehearsed with feedback; anautonomous performerrecalls the motor programme from long-term memory and can attend to tactics instead.
The three memory stores, with the exam link to the stages of learning.

The memory process as a whole

Memory is the part of information processing that decides what is kept and what is thrown away. Information enters through the senses, is filtered, is held briefly for use, and only then may be stored permanently.

The journey runs through three stores in order: the short-term sensory store, short-term memory and long-term memory. Selective attention is the filter between the first two, deciding which information is allowed to move on.

The model matters because of capacity: each store can hold only a limited amount of information, and information that is not attended to or rehearsed is lost. Everything a performer learns about a skill has to make it all the way to long-term memory to be retained.

StoreCapacityDurationWhat it does
Short-term sensory storeVery large — it holds everything the senses pick upVery brief, less than a secondHolds a raw copy of sensory information just long enough for the performer to attend to it
Short-term memoryLimited — about seven items (7 ± 2)Brief, around 30 secondsHolds a small amount of information for immediate use, as long as it is rehearsed
Long-term memoryUnlimitedPermanent — can last a lifetimeStores information and motor programmes that have been attended to and rehearsed

The short-term sensory store

The short-term sensory store takes a raw copy of everything the sense organs pick up. It has a very large capacity, because it is receiving all of the display at once.

Its duration is very brief, less than a second. The image or sound fades almost immediately, so information left here is lost unless the performer attends to it in that moment.

This is why a performer cannot take in the whole of the display. Much of what the senses pick up is never processed at all.

Selective attention: the filter

Selective attention is the filter that sits between the short-term sensory store and short-term memory. It decides which information is important enough to move on and which is discarded.

A performer who has learned a skill knows which cues matter, so they attend to those and ignore the rest. This is what stops the limited space in short-term memory from being filled with useless information.

Selective attention is a skill in its own right, and it improves with experience. A novice may stare at the ball, while an experienced performer takes in the position of several opponents in the same glance.

The examiner's phrase to remember: information has to be attended to before it can enter short-term memory. Nothing passes the short-term sensory store by accident.

Short-term memory

Short-term memory holds the information the performer is working with right now. Its capacity is limited to roughly seven items, which is why a performer can only juggle a small number of thoughts at once.

Its duration is brief, around 30 seconds, and information is lost quickly unless it is rehearsed. Rehearsal means repeating the information, either by saying it internally or by performing the movement again.

In sport, short-term memory is where a decision is held while it is carried out — the position of a teammate held in mind long enough for the pass to be made. Once the moment has passed, the information either moves on to long-term memory or is lost.

Long-term memory and motor programmes

Long-term memory has an unlimited capacity and a permanent duration. Anything that reaches it can be retained for life, and this is where a performer stores their skills, their tactics and their knowledge of the game.

Permanent storage happens through encoding, where information is changed into a form that can be stored, followed by storage itself. Information is brought back out again by retrieval, when the performer needs it.

Motor programmes are held in long-term memory. The generalised series of movements is stored there and recalled when the skill is performed, with the recall schema adjusting it to suit the situation. A performer who has practised a skill thousands of times can retrieve the motor programme almost instantly, which is why skilled performers appear to move without thinking.

Strategies to improve storage in long-term memory

Not everything that enters short-term memory reaches long-term memory. The strategies below are the ones that help information make the journey.

Rehearsal is repeating information or a movement. Repeated practice strengthens the trace so it becomes easier to retrieve. Chunking groups separate pieces of information into one meaningful unit, such as learning a triple jump as three linked phases rather than as separate movements, which lets more information fit into the limited space of short-term memory so that more of it can be passed on.

Meaningful association links new information to something the performer already knows, such as connecting a new defensive formation to one already learned. Reinforcement strengthens storage through feedback and repetition, and overlearning continues practice beyond the point of first success so the skill is retained even under pressure.

  • Rehearsal — repeat the information or the movement so it is not lost from short-term memory.
  • Chunking — group pieces of information into a single meaningful unit so more fits at once.
  • Meaningful association — link new information to knowledge the performer already holds.
  • Practice and overlearning — repeat the skill beyond first success so retrieval becomes automatic.
  • Immediate feedback — reinforce the correct information while it is still in short-term memory.

Key terms you must be able to define

Short-term sensory store
The first memory store, which holds a raw copy of all sensory information for a very brief period (less than a second) before it fades.
Selective attention
The filter that decides which information from the short-term sensory store is important enough to be passed into short-term memory.
Short-term memory
The store that holds a limited amount of information (about seven items) for a brief period (around 30 seconds), for immediate use.
Long-term memory
The store with unlimited capacity and permanent duration, holding information and motor programmes that have been attended to and rehearsed.
Encoding
Changing information into a form that can be stored in long-term memory.
Storage
Keeping encoded information in long-term memory so it can be used later.
Retrieval
Bringing stored information or a motor programme back out of long-term memory when it is needed.
Chunking
Grouping separate pieces of information into a single meaningful unit so that more can be held in short-term memory.
Rehearsal
Repeating information or a movement so that it is not lost from short-term memory and can be stored in long-term memory.
Overlearning
Continuing to practise a skill beyond the point of first success so that it is retained and can be performed under pressure.

Applied to your sport

Cambridge requires you to apply this knowledge to physical activities. Use these as models, then write your own for the sport you play.

Netball

A centre sees the whole court in the short-term sensory store but only attends to the two or three players making a run. That is selective attention deciding what reaches short-term memory.

Track and field athletics

A triple jumper learns the event as three linked phases — hop, step and jump — rather than as isolated movements, so the whole sequence is held as one unit in short-term memory and rehearsed until it is stored in long-term memory.

Field hockey

A drag flick practised over hundreds of repetitions is stored as a motor programme in long-term memory and retrieved almost automatically in a match, leaving the player free to read the goalkeeper.

Volleyball

A set play is encoded as a team formation and linked to a formation the players already know. This meaningful association makes the new play easier to retrieve under the pressure of a rally.

Flashcards

Click a card to flip it. Mark honestly — the tracker uses this.

Q1Name the three stores in the memory process, in order.
Short-term sensory store, short-term memory and long-term memory.
Q2What is the capacity and duration of the short-term sensory store?
Very large capacity, but it lasts less than a second before the information fades.
Q3What is the role of selective attention in memory?
It filters the information in the short-term sensory store and decides what is important enough to pass into short-term memory.
Q4What is the capacity of short-term memory?
About seven items (7 ± 2).
Q5What is the duration of short-term memory?
Around 30 seconds, and information is lost unless it is rehearsed.
Q6What is the capacity and duration of long-term memory?
Unlimited capacity and permanent duration — information can be retained for life.
Q7What is encoding?
Changing information into a form that can be stored in long-term memory.
Q8What is retrieval?
Bringing stored information or a motor programme back out of long-term memory when it is needed.
Q9Where are motor programmes stored and how are they used?
They are stored in long-term memory and recalled from there when the skill is performed, with the recall schema adjusting them to the situation.
Q10What is chunking and why does it help?
Grouping separate pieces of information into one meaningful unit, so more information fits into the limited space of short-term memory and more can be passed on to long-term memory.
Q11What is overlearning?
Continuing to practise beyond the point of first success, so the skill is retained and can be performed under pressure.
Q12Give one strategy for improving storage in long-term memory and say why it works.
Rehearsal — repeating the information or movement keeps it in short-term memory long enough to be encoded and stored permanently.
0 of 12 marked as known

Exam-style questions

7 questions, 19 marks. Write your answer, then reveal the mark scheme and tick each point you actually made. Answering honestly here is what makes the rest of the site useful.

StateAO11 mark
State the capacity of short-term memory.

Mark scheme — tick each point you actually made

Examiner tip: One number, one mark. Do not confuse this with the unlimited capacity of long-term memory.
IdentifyAO12 marks
Identify the store that receives information first in the memory process and the filter that decides what passes on from it.

Mark scheme — tick each point you actually made

Examiner tip: Name both. The short-term sensory store takes everything in; selective attention is what lets information through.
ExplainAO12 marks
Explain why information is lost from the short-term sensory store.

Mark scheme — tick each point you actually made

Examiner tip: Give both the reason (very brief duration) and the consequence (fades unless attended to).
ExplainAO23 marks
Explain how a netball player uses selective attention when marking an opponent.

Mark scheme — tick each point you actually made

Examiner tip: The mark is for the benefit of selective attention, not just for naming it. Link it to the limited capacity of short-term memory.
ExplainAO23 marks
Explain how a rugby player's motor programme is retained and recalled during a match.

Mark scheme — tick each point you actually made

Examiner tip: Three marks: where it is stored, how it got there, and how it is brought back. Naming long-term memory alone is worth one.
ExplainAO24 marks
Explain strategies a volleyball coach could use to improve the storage of a set play in a performer's long-term memory.

Mark scheme — tick each point you actually made

Examiner tip: Give four different strategies, each with the reason it works. Four strategies named without reasons will not reach full marks.
EvaluateAO24 marks
Evaluate the importance of long-term memory in the performance of a skilled tennis player.

Mark scheme — tick each point you actually made

Examiner tip: Evaluate needs a limitation as well as benefits. The last point, on encoding and pressure, is the one that lifts the answer to full marks.

Exam technique for this topic

  • Learn the three stores in order, with the capacity and duration of each. Short-term sensory store: very large, less than a second. Short-term memory: about seven items, around 30 seconds. Long-term memory: unlimited, permanent.
  • If a question says information was ignored, the answer is selective attention. If it says information was lost after a short time, the answer is short-term memory.
  • Strategies questions want the strategy plus its effect. 'Chunking, because grouping steps lets more information be held at once' scores; 'chunking' on its own may not.
  • Link motor programmes to long-term memory. They are stored there and recalled from there, and the recall schema is what adjusts them to the situation.

Why students lose marks here

A student wroteLong-term memory holds about seven items at a time.
Why it loses marksThe seven-item limit belongs to short-term memory. Long-term memory has an unlimited capacity.
The answer that scoresShort-term memory can hold roughly seven items for about 30 seconds. Long-term memory has an unlimited capacity and a permanent duration, and it stores motor programmes and knowledge that have been rehearsed.
A student wroteInformation moves from the short-term sensory store into short-term memory automatically.
Why it loses marksIt does not. Information must be attended to before it can move on, and selective attention is the filter that decides what is kept.
The answer that scoresInformation is held in the short-term sensory store for less than a second and then fades. Selective attention decides which of it is important enough to pass into short-term memory, and everything not attended to is lost.
A student wroteRehearsal means practising in front of a mirror.
Why it loses marksRehearsal in memory has a specific meaning: repeating information or a movement so that it is not lost from short-term memory and can be stored in long-term memory.
The answer that scoresRehearsal is repeating information or a movement, either by going over it mentally or by repeating the skill in practice. Repeating it keeps it in short-term memory long enough for it to be encoded and stored in long-term memory.
A student wroteMotor programmes are stored in short-term memory during a performance.
Why it loses marksMotor programmes are stored in long-term memory. Short-term memory is only the small workspace used in the moment, and it does not hold long-term skills.
The answer that scoresA motor programme is stored in long-term memory and retrieved from there when the skill is performed. Short-term memory is used to hold the immediate information the performer is working with, such as the position of an opponent.