Which one of the following statements best characterizes working memory (sometimes known as short-term memory)?
a. It holds information for several hours and includes only things that we know we will need later on.
b. It holds information for two to five minutes, longer if we engage in rehearsal.
c. It actively processes a small amount of information, typically holding it for less than a minute.
d. It holds processed information for several days or weeks, but usually not forever.
Question 2
Susan hears her teacher say, Seven times nine is sixty-three, and immediately repeats this math fact to herself three times. Five minutes later, Susan cannot respond correctly when her teacher asks, What is seven times nine?
Based on this information, how far in Susan's memory system did the math fact probably get?
a. It reached the sensory register.
b. It reached working memory.
c. It reached long-term memory.
d. It never got into the memory system at all.
Ernest Meissonier, Memory of Civil War (The Barricades).
Working and Living and Playing in the City Dump of Phnom Penh, Cambodia
A schematic drawing of the same memory saver.
Working-Age Fraction of the U.S. Population, 1950–2050
Memory Changes
The results from West and Crook's study of memory for telephone numbers