Final answer:
The correct term for the transition of a memory from short-term to long-term memory is consolidation. This process involves the stabilization of memory traces and is a critical step in forming enduring memories. It is differentiated from construction, which refers to the formation of new memories, and reconstruction, which is the recall and modification of existing memories.
Step-by-step explanation:
Memory Consolidation: Transition from Short-Term to Long-Term Memory
The transitioning of a memory from short-term to long-term memory is termed consolidation. This process involves the reorganization and stabilization of memory traces after initially being encoded.
According to the Atkinson-Shiffrin model, in order for a memory to be stored in long-term memory, it must pass through three distinct stages: Sensory Memory, Short-Term Memory, and finally into Long-Term Memory.
Long-term memory involves a continuous storage of information with an unlimited capacity and requires consolidation for the formation and maintenance of memories.
Memory consolidation can take place over a period ranging from a few hours to weeks and is essential for creating stable, enduring memories.
It can be affected by various factors such as interference and decay at the short-term memory level, but once information is consolidated into long-term memory, it is much more resistant to forgetting.
In addition to consolidation, the formulation of new memories is sometimes called construction, while the process of recalling and potentially altering those memories is referred to as reconstruction.
These terms reflect the dynamic nature of memory wherein both the creation and retrieval processes can modify the content of what is remembered, leading to potential distortions.