Final answer:
Short-term memory allows the retention of information for a brief period, while long-term memory has vast storage capacity for permanent information retention. Memory errors such as suggestibility, transience, and misattribution can lead to false memories or alterations of existing ones. The Snellen chart is used to test visual acuity, not related to memory functions.
Step-by-step explanation:
Short-term memory is the capacity to retain information actively in the brain for a brief period of time. This type of memory enables the maintenance of detailed visual memories over several minutes, which is essential for tasks that require a temporary hold on information, such as remembering a phone number long enough to dial it. Unlike long-term memory (LTM), which has an enormous storage capacity and holds information more permanently, short-term memory generally maintains about seven bits of information before the information is either forgotten or stored in long-term memory.
The ability to remember and reconstruct memories can be influenced by many factors, including the suggestibility of an individual, which can lead to false memories. Memory construction involves creating new memories, while memory reconstruction refers to retrieving and potentially altering old memories. Tools such as the Snellen chart are unrelated to memory but are used to evaluate visual acuity by presenting a standardized arrangement of letters at a 20-foot distance.
It's important to understand how memory works and recognize the various errors that can affect it, such as transience, misattribution, and persistence. These errors can lead to the gradual weakening of memory over time, confusion about the source of a memory, or the unwanted recall of memories, particularly unpleasant ones. The intricacies of memory demonstrate that it is not a flawless system, and the information stored is subject to distortion and change.