Final answer:
Using sounds, pictures, or concepts to store memories is called encoding. It is the process of transforming information so it can be stored in the brain and later retrieved. Visual, acoustic, and semantic are types of encoding, with semantic being demonstrated by Bousfield's category-based word recall experiment.
Step-by-step explanation:
Using certain sounds, pictures, or concepts to store memories is known as encoding. Encoding is the process by which we get information into our brains and transform it into a construct that can be stored, and later retrieved from memory.
The input of information into the memory system comes in various forms, such as visual, acoustic, and semantic encoding. Visual encoding is specifically related to the input of images, while acoustic encoding deals with the input of sounds. Semantic encoding involves the encoding of words and their meanings, as illustrated by William Bousfield's experiment in 1935, where people memorized words that they tended to recall in categories related to their meanings.
Among the provided options, the correct answer is 'b. encoding'. This process is crucial to the creation of new memories, whether it be through automatic or effortful processing. Once encoded, the information enters into memory storage. Later, when we need to access this information, we engage in the process of retrieval, which brings it back into conscious awareness.