Final answer:
The first stage of memory is sensory memory, where sensory information from the environment is briefly captured by the nervous system through the five senses. This stage acts as a filter to decide which information moves on to short-term memory.
Step-by-step explanation:
The first stage of memory is sensory memory. This is the point at which information enters the nervous systems through the senses such as touch, sight, hearing, taste, or smell. Sensory memory acts as the initial filter, capturing an immense volume of sensory stimuli and holding it very briefly, up to a couple of seconds, before it is either discarded or passed on to the next memory stage.
In the Atkinson-Shiffrin model, we process memories through three stages: Sensory Memory, Short-Term Memory, and Long-Term Memory. Sensory memory allows us to retain impressions of sensory information after the original stimuli have ended. This fleeting storage becomes the gateway for information to either dissipate or move forward into short-term memory if deemed important.
Our senses—hearing, sight, taste, touch, and smell—receive stimuli from the environment, which are then translated into neural signals through a process called transduction. These signals are integrated and processed by the nervous system, which can lead to storage in memory and potential behavioral responses.