What are the three stages of memory according to the information processing theory?

Question: What are the three stages of memory according to the information processing theory?

According to the information processing theory, there are three stages of memory:

1. Sensory memory: This is the first stage of memory, and it is very short-lived. It holds information for a very brief period of time (a few seconds) before it either decays or is transferred to the next stage. Sensory memory is responsible for storing the initial impression of sensory information.
2. Short-term memory: Also known as working memory, this stage is responsible for temporarily holding and manipulating information. It can hold about 7 items of information for about 20 seconds. Short-term memory is important for tasks such as remembering phone numbers, following directions, and solving math problems.
3. Long-term memory: This is the final stage of memory, and it is where information is stored for a longer duration, potentially indefinitely. Long-term memory is divided into two types: declarative memory and procedural memory. Declarative memory is the conscious memory of facts and events. Procedural memory is the unconscious memory of how to do things.

The information processing theory is a model of how information is processed and stored in the human brain. It is based on the idea that information is processed in a series of stages, from sensory memory to short-term memory to long-term memory.

The information processing theory has been influential in the study of memory, and it has been used to explain a variety of phenomena, such as forgetting, attention, and memory retrieval.

Here are some additional details about the three stages of memory:

• Sensory memory: Sensory memory is a very brief stage of memory that stores information for a very short period of time. It is responsible for storing the initial impression of sensory information, such as sights, sounds, smells, tastes, and touch. Sensory memory is often divided into three types: iconic memory, echoic memory, and haptic memory.
  • Iconic memory is the visual sensory memory that stores visual information for about 1/2 second.
  • Echoic memory is the auditory sensory memory that stores auditory information for about 3 seconds.
  • Haptic memory is the tactile sensory memory that stores tactile information for about 10 seconds.
• Short-term memory: Short-term memory is also known as working memory. It is responsible for temporarily holding and manipulating information. Short-term memory can hold about 7 items of information for about 20 seconds. Short-term memory is important for tasks such as remembering phone numbers, following directions, and solving math problems.
• Long-term memory: Long-term memory is the final stage of memory, and it is where information is stored for a longer duration, potentially indefinitely. Long-term memory is divided into two types: declarative memory and procedural memory.
  • Declarative memory is the conscious memory of facts and events. It is further divided into episodic memory and semantic memory.
    • Episodic memory is the memory of specific events that have happened to us.
    • Semantic memory is the memory of general knowledge about the world.
  • Procedural memory is the unconscious memory of how to do things. It is also known as motor memory or skill memory.

The information processing theory is a useful model for understanding how memory works. It can be used to explain how information is processed and stored in the brain, and it can be used to understand why we forget things or why we remember things better than others.