Atkinson and Shiffrin’s (1968) influential model overshadowed their contemporary theory of human memory

•The Atkinson and Shiffrin model has been extremely influential and remains so today.•Despite its continuing influence, it is often mischaracterized.•For example, Atkinson and Shiffrin envisioned verbal and visual short-term stores.•They also described what we would today refer to as “levels of processing”•Every student of memory should read the Atkinson and Shiffrin (1968) chapter.