US High School Psychology Practice Exam

Disable ads (and more) with a membership for a one time $2.99 payment

Prepare for your US High School Psychology Exam with comprehensive flashcards and multiple choice questions. Understand key concepts with hints and explanations to ensure success on your test!

Each practice test/flash card set has 50 randomly selected questions from a bank of over 500. You'll get a new set of questions each time!

Practice this question and more.

How long does information typically last in sensory memory?

Several minutes
A few seconds to several seconds
A fraction of a second to several seconds
Up to one minute

The correct answer is: A fraction of a second to several seconds

The duration of sensory memory is characterized by its brief and fleeting nature. Sensory memory acts as a buffer for sensory information received from the environment, registering it for a very short time. The typical retention span ranges from a fraction of a second to several seconds, depending on the type of sensory input—for example, iconic memory (visual) lasts about 0.5 seconds, while echoic memory (auditory) can extend slightly longer, around 3 to 4 seconds. This brief window allows sensory information to be processed before it is either discarded or encoded into short-term memory. The other choices suggest longer durations for memory retention, which do not accurately reflect the nature of sensory memory; hence, this range is crucial for understanding how we experience and interact with the world around us.