Final answer:
The process in which incoming messages move from one stage of memory to another until it becomes part of conscious awareness is known as retrieval. This process is essential for recalling information and involves stages such as Sensory Memory, Short-Term Memory, and Long-Term Memory as per the Atkinson-Shiffrin model.
Step-by-step explanation:
If an incoming message is important enough to enter consciousness, that message will move from memory to memory through a process called retrieval. Retrieval is the act of getting information out of memory storage and back into conscious awareness. This process includes the ability to recall, recognize, and relearn information that has been previously encoded and stored.
According to the Atkinson-Shiffrin model of memory, there are three stages through which information passes before it is stored in long-term memory: Sensory Memory, Short-Term Memory, and Long-Term Memory. Sensory memory deals with storage of brief sensory events, while short-term memory holds information temporarily for analysis and retrieval. Rehearsal, whether through active or elaborative methods, is crucial for transferring information from short-term to long-term memory, which has an essentially unlimited storage capacity.
Additionally, the act of retrieval can sometimes alter and modify the memories, a process known as reconstruction. Thus, while retrieval is essential for memory function, it can also lead to distortions of the original information.