The Three-Stage Model of Memory Is One of the Best-Known

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The Answer is The three-stage model of memory, proposed by Atkinson and Shiffrin in 1968, consists of three main stages: sensory memory, short-term memory, and long-term memory.

Sensory memory is the first stage of memory and is responsible for briefly holding sensory information from the environment. It has a large capacity but a very brief duration, typically lasting only a few seconds. This stage allows us to retain a sensory impression of a stimulus after the original stimulus has ceased.

Short-term memory is the second stage of memory and is responsible for holding a small amount of information for a short period of time, typically around 20-30 seconds. It has a limited capacity, usually around 7 items, and is easily disrupted by new information. Short-term memory is also involved in conscious thought and problem-solving.

Long-term memory is the third stage of memory and is responsible for storing a vast amount of information for a potentially unlimited duration. It has a seemingly unlimited capacity and is relatively stable. Long-term memory is further divided into explicit (declarative) memory, which includes memories that can be consciously recalled, and implicit (procedural) memory, which includes memories that are not consciously recalled but still influence behavior.

The three-stage model of memory can explain the famous serial position effect, which refers to the tendency for items at the beginning and end of a list to be better remembered than those in the middle. According to the model, the primacy effect (better recall of items at the beginning of a list) is due to the transfer of information from short-term memory to long-term memory, while the recency effect (better recall of items at the end of a list) is due to the retention of information in short-term memory. Items in the middle of the list are less likely to be transferred to long-term memory and are more susceptible to interference from other items, leading to poorer recall. This phenomenon demonstrates how the three-stage model of memory can account for the serial position effect.

The Three-Stage Model of Memory Is One of the Best-Known

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