________ describes the gradual degradation of memory traces within short-term storage.
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Answer: B. Decay
Explanation
Decay theory proposes that memory traces in short-term storage naturally fade and degrade over time if not rehearsed. Without active maintenance rehearsal, neural representations in working memory experience spontaneous physiological deterioration. This gradual weakening of memory traces over time explains why unattended short-term information vanishes quickly. Memory models divide information processing into sensory registers, short-term working memory, and long-term storage. Decay theory contrasts with interference theory, which suggests memories are disrupted by competing mental activities. Ebbinghaus pioneered early memory retention studies, demonstrating how rapidly newly acquired information is forgotten.
Students use active rehearsal techniques to prevent decay and transfer important study material into long-term memory. Understanding memory decay helps instructional designers present educational content in digestible, repeatable segments. Cognitive psychologists study short-term memory limits to understand human attentional bottlenecks during learning tasks. Encoding failure occurs when information never successfully enters long-term memory storage during initial learning stages. Disuse typically describes the fading of long-term memory traces over extended periods rather than short-term decay. Decoding failure refers to difficulties in retrieving or interpreting stored information rather than short-term trace degradation.
- Subject
- Psychology
- Category
- Psychology
- Topic
- —
- Difficulty
- medium
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