Explain and describe the function, capacity and duration for each of the three stages of memory: sensory, short-term, long term. Choose...

Short-Term Memory (STM) is a
memory system where information is briefly held while it is being used; as a result, it
is sometimes called working memory.  According to research
conducted by George Miller (1956), short-term memory is able to contain approximately
seven items or pieces of information at a time and can hold these pieces of information
for around 12-30 seconds on
average.

Long-Term Memory (LTM)
is a memory system where information is placed for long-term or permanent
storage.  Long-term memory capacity is virtually limitless; the problem is finding a way
to actually retrieve the information from memory.  Without the right retrieval cues,
information can be stored in long-term memory, but never be accessed.  Most researchers
agree that information stored in LTM is there permanently--all it takes to access that
information is the right cues.

Sensory Memory
is essentially the first stage in the memory process; it is the point
where information enters the nervous system through various sensory systems (sight,
taste, sound, etc.).  Information that has been encoded into sensory memory takes the
form of neural messages that travel through the nervous system.  The memory is
accessible as long as the neural message is still moving through the nervous system to
be further processed in the brain.