Final answer:
When you hear a phone ring and answer it, the processors activated include the Sensory Register, Short-Term Memory, and Working Memory. These processors are responsible for detecting the sound, making you aware, and allowing you to manipulate information as you respond to the call.
Step-by-step explanation:
When the student answered the phone after hearing it ring, several processors were activated according to the stages of memory. According to the Atkinson-Shiffrin model, the first processor to be activated would be the Sensory Register, where sensory memory briefly holds information. In this case, it's the sound of the phone ringing. This information then moves into Short-Term Memory, where the individual is consciously aware of the sound and may decide to answer the phone. As the phone is answered and the conversation is held, the information may be processed in the Working Memory. This is because working memory, which involves short-term memory, is responsible for manipulating and processing information needed to perform the task, such as understanding the conversation and formulating responses.
Working memory is used particularly if the conversation requires any immediate response or the holding onto and manipulation of information, such as remembering a small piece of information the caller provides. While Long-Term Memory might be used if the call requires the retrieval of information that had been previously stored, the question specifically refers to the act of answering the phone upon hearing it, which implies recent stimuli and immediate actions rather than retrieving past information. Therefore, the processors activated in this activity are primarily the sensory register, short-term memory, and working memory.