In the memory framework discussed, where is information first briefly held before higher-level processing begins?

In the memory framework discussed, where is information first briefly held before higher-level processing begins?

• A. Short-term store
• B. Sensory store
• C. Working memory
• D. Long-term store

Answer: (B)

Information first enters a sensory store, a temporary buffer that holds incoming sensory input immediately after it’s perceived. Each sense has its own brief-memory subsystem—visual input goes into the iconic store and auditory input into the echoic store—where the data are preserved for only a fraction of a second to a few seconds. This short-lived holding area gives the brain a moment to decide what to pass on for further processing; what’s attended to moves into the short-term store (working memory) for conscious processing, while unattended information fades away. The short-term store is where information is actively held and manipulated, and from there it can be encoded into long-term memory for later retrieval. So the first brief holding place is the sensory store, not the short-term, working memory, or long-term stores.

Information first enters a sensory store, a temporary buffer that holds incoming sensory input immediately after it’s perceived. Each sense has its own brief-memory subsystem—visual input goes into the iconic store and auditory input into the echoic store—where the data are preserved for only a fraction of a second to a few seconds. This short-lived holding area gives the brain a moment to decide what to pass on for further processing; what’s attended to moves into the short-term store (working memory) for conscious processing, while unattended information fades away. The short-term store is where information is actively held and manipulated, and from there it can be encoded into long-term memory for later retrieval. So the first brief holding place is the sensory store, not the short-term, working memory, or long-term stores.