The memories held in short-term memory are
A long-lived.
B sensory in nature.
C incomplete representations.
D detailed and precise.
The correct answer and explanation is:
The correct answer is C) incomplete representations.
Short-term memory is the system that holds information for a brief period, typically ranging from a few seconds to a minute. It is responsible for storing information temporarily before it is either discarded or transferred to long-term memory. However, short-term memory does not hold complete or detailed information. It tends to store incomplete representations of experiences or data.
This limitation arises because short-term memory has a limited capacity and can only store a small amount of information at any given time. Studies suggest that it can hold around 7 plus or minus 2 items, which is often referred to as Miller’s law. As a result, the information held in short-term memory is often fragmented and does not include all details from the sensory input. If the information isn’t rehearsed or actively attended to, it fades quickly and is lost.
Unlike sensory memory, which retains raw sensory data for a brief moment after the stimulus has been removed, short-term memory processes the information in a more organized manner. However, it doesn’t store every detail. For instance, you may remember the gist of a conversation, but you might forget exact words or facial expressions. This is why short-term memory is described as holding incomplete representations of stimuli.
On the other hand, long-term memory is meant to store information more durably and comprehensively. Short-term memory’s primary function is to process and hold information temporarily while it’s being transferred to long-term memory or while it’s being used in the immediate context.