
The Three Stages of Memory
- Encoding Get ready. The brain is making memories. ...
- Storing The second stage in the three stages of memory is just as important as the rest. ...
- Recalling The inability to recall the desired memory at a particular moment does not necessarily mean a memory is gone. ...
- Cohesivity In unison, encoding, storing, and recalling information are the three stages of memory. ...
What is the three stage process of memory?
The Memory Process
- Overview of the Memory Process. Encoding is the process of getting information into memory. ...
- Encoding. Encoding is the process of getting information into memory. ...
- Storage. Storage is the retention of information over time. ...
- Retrieval. Retrieval is the process of recalling stored information from memory. ...
What are the steps in the memory process?
- State-dependent memory . State-dependent memory refers to the idea that being in the same state in which you first learned information enables you to better remember said information. ...
- Schemas. Schemas refer to the mental frameworks an individual creates to help them understand and organize new information. ...
- Chunking. ...
- Deliberate practice. ...
What are the three stages of memory psychology?
- Iconic memory stores interpretations of visual experiences
- Echoic memory stores the interpretations of sounds
- Haptic memory stores the interpretations related to tactile experiences
- Olfactory memory stores information related to the sense of smell
- Gustatory memory stores information related to the sense of taste.
What is the three system memory theory?
three-system memory theory the existence of the three separate memory stores. (sensory memory, short-term memory, and long-term memory. sensory memory The initial, momentary storage of information, lasting on an instant. short-term memory memory that holds information for 15-25 seconds.

What is the process of getting information into memory?
Encoding is the process of getting information into memory. If information or stimuli never gets encoded, it will never be remembered. Encoding requires paying attention to information and linking it to existing knowledge in order to make the new information meaningful and thus easier to remember.
What is the first stage of the memory process?
Encoding is the first stage of the memory process. Encoding occurs when information is translated into a form that can be processed mentally. Information from the environment is constantly reaching your senses in the forms of stimuli. Encoding allows you to change the stimuli so that you may put it into your memory. It is similar to librarians classifying books before placing them on a shelf. As librarians encode/label books so patrons to easily locate them, you encode/label information before placing the information into your memory.
What is effortful processing?
That types of encoding is effortful processing, since it involves effort. Effortful processing occurs when you consciously try to remember information. It requires special attention, thought, and practice. In other words, you have to put in effort to get the information in to memory.
What is retrieval in psychology?
Retrieval is the process of getting information out of memory. The ability to access and retrieve information from memory allows you to use the memories to answer questions, perform tasks, make decisions, and interact with other people.
How many storage areas are there in the brain?
It is believed that we can accumulate information in three main storage areas: sensory memory, short-term memory, and long-term memory. Information is stored sequentially in the three memory systems, and the storage areas vary according to time frames.
What is storage in memory?
Storage consists of retention of information over time. It is believed that we can gather information in three main storage areas: sensory memory, short-term memory, and long-term memory. These areas vary according to time frames. Retrieval is the process of getting information out of memory. The ability to access and retrieve information ...
What is the process of acquiring, retaining, and later retrieving information?
Memory is the processes that is used to acquire, retain, and later retrieve information. The memory process involves three domains: encoding, storage, and retrieval.
What are the stages of memory?
The three stages of memory are encoding, storage, and retrieval and your brain can fail you during any of those. These are also referred to as the three basic processes of memory.
How many items can you store in your memory?
In 1956 studies showed that adults could store 5-9 items in their short-term memory. This was known as Miller's Law and has remained the standard even with subsequent research, although hacking techniques like chunking have been known to give some leeway. Long-term memory in comparison has unlimited capacity.
How does cognitive therapy help with memory loss?
Cognitive therapy or CBT is a type of counseling used to interrupt negative behavior patterns and create new ones. This is best used in situations where memory loss is a secondary symptom like depression or anxiety disorders. Therapists will use biases in thinking and guidance to reformulate how you react to things into a more practical and rational way. By being able to control these negative behaviors memory may improve on its own. It is especially important to seek professional guidance in cases where you think your memory loss may be related to anxiety or depressive disorders as there may also be a need for medications to help.
Why do we forget things?
One of the most common reasons our memory fails us is not that the memory has been lost but that we are unable to recall it. Trying to remember things is especially noticeable when dealing with short-term vs. long-term memory. Short-term memories tend to be sequential which is why they are quickest to be retrieved when they are fresh and is usually refreshed frequently which is why things are quickly forgotten even if we don't mean to. Long-term memory is strongly connected to the association which is why having a second sense engaged while you're "creating" the memory often causes it to be recalled when that sense is triggered again. If you've ever smelled something and it reminded you of another time or heard a piece of music, and it reminded you then your long-term memory has been triggered by association.
What is the process of encoding?
Our brain translates what we're experiencing into information and then this information is stored so that it can be recalled later. The three types of information that we perceive are visual, acoustic, and semantic and without all three the memory is incomplete. These three different forms are one of the reasons that we can often recall things better based on unrelated cues. For example, being told to use a specific smell when revising information so that smell can be related to the information when its needed for a future recall. Encoding is the process used to create the memory in the first place.
Why can't we remember things?
The fact that long-term memory is unlimited begs the question - why can't we always remember things. This goes back to encoding where memory may have been incomplete when stored and to recall where we may suddenly remember the information at a later time or under hypnosis. The exact process for editing and sorting memories remains unknown.
How does recall relate to memory?
Retrieval is also connected to how your brain stores memory. While the exact organization is still unclear the ability to recall items can relate to how you stored them and when. If you are trying to retrieve items from short-term memory, for example, your recall is only 5-9 items long and waiting too long to do so will likely cause it to "drop off" that list even if you don't intend that to happen.
Encoding of Memory
When the brain receives a piece of information via the sensory organs, it is transmitted via neural pathways to the dedicated centers of the brain for encoding, i.e. perceiving and relating the information to the previously stored memories.
Storing of Memories
After the information is encoded and learned, it can be stored in three memory storage systems:
Sensory memory
Sensory memory refers to the ability of the human brain to remember precise information about the world that surrounds us, received from the five senses: sight, smell, touch, hearing, and taste.
Short-term memory
This type of memory relates to the part of our brains that stores information until we need to recall it for the performance of complex cognitive tasks, such as learning, reasoning, and comprehension.
Long-term memory
Long-term memory is the facility of the brain which enables us to remember and retrieve everything we’ve learned and experienced for a long period of time, sometimes – for a lifetime.
Retrieving of Memory
After connecting and sorting the encoded information, the brain connects them with the previously stored and related memories, thus creating new neural pathways along which the stored information can be re-accessed, or retrieved.
Conclusion
These three processes of memory – encoding, storage, and retrieving, enable us to learn and use the learned information about the world around us for a long period of time, empowering us and supporting our everyday activities.
The 3 Stage Processing Model of Memory
Melton (1963) discovered that there were three stages in the process of memory. These processes are encoding, storage and retrieval.
Different Types of Memory
Before diving into the differences between the types of distinctions within the memory processes, you first have to be familiar with short-term memory (STM) and long-term memory (LTM). The distinction between these two will help you understand the intricacies of long-term memory.
Psychological Evidence of Memory Processes
Let's take a look at 3 pieces of psychological evidence around memory processes.
Memory Processes - Key takeaways
The 3 stage processing model of memory consists of encoding, storage and retrieval.
What is the process of memory?
While we might take memory for granted, it is actually a complex process that allows us to learn and recall vast amounts of information every moment of every day. It's such a complex process that, although memory has been studied for many years, psychologists aren't entirely sure how it works. What psychologists do know is that the brain's hippocampus, thalamus, and amygdala are all involved in the complex process of memory. They also agree that the three stages involved in the memory process are encoding, storage, and retrieval of information.
What are the two main types of memory?
There are two main types of memory, short-term memory (STM) and long-term memory (LTM). The third stage is retrieval. Retrieving information can be done through association or through questioning. To unlock this lesson you must be a Study.com Member.
How long does a person's memory last?
Short-term memory is sometimes referred to as active memory. Information that is in STM lasts only up to 30 seconds, and most adults can store five to nine items in STM.
What is the first stage of memory?
The first stage of memory is encoding. When we are exposed to information of any kind, we take the information and begin processing it in visual, acoustic, and semantic form. This means that we take information, either as a picture or a sound or that we give the information meaning.
How to retrieve information from a stored information?
Retrieval is about recalling the information that has been stored away. Retrieval from STM is done sequentially. Retrieval from LTM, on the other hand, is done by association or by active questioning. In other words, information from a current situation can aid in retrieving information that has been stored in the past by associating cues from the current situation to cues from stored information. Sights, sounds, and smells are examples of cues that could aid in retrieval. Posing questions is another way to retrieve previously stored information. Being asked or asking oneself specific questions can aid in the retrieval of stored information.

Encoding of Memory
Storing of Memories
Sensory Memory
- Storage is the retention of information over time. This second stage of the memory process creates a permanent record of the encoded information. It is believed that we can accumulate information in three main storage areas: sensory memory, short-term memory, and long-term memory. Information is stored sequentially in the three memory systems, and ...
Short-Term Memory
Long-Term Memory
Retrieving of Memory
Conclusion