Final answer:
The four-step lifecycle of declarative memory is Encoding, Storage, Retrieval, and Forgetting. Encoding is the initial input of information, which is then preserved through Storage, eventually accessed via Retrieval, and can sometimes lead to Forgetting if information is lost from long-term memory over time. The correct option is a.
Step-by-step explanation:
The four-step lifecycle of declarative memory includes the following steps: Encoding, Storage, Retrieval, and Forgetting. Declarative memory is a type of long-term memory of facts and events we personally experience. Encoding is the process of getting information into our memory system through automatic or effortful processing. Once encoded, the information enters Storage, where it is retained. Later, we retrieve this information in a process called Retrieval, which can be done through recall, recognition, or relearning. However, not all stored information remains accessible forever, leading to the final stage known as Forgetting, where information can be lost from long-term memory over time.
Initially, environmental stimuli are briefly held in Sensory Memory. If attended to, this information is then relocated into Short-term Memory and with rehearsal, may eventually become part of Long-term Memory, according to the Atkinson-Shiffrin model of memory. The process of transferring information from short-term to long-term memory can be enhanced through effortful processing techniques like elaborative rehearsal, which involves thinking about the meaning of new information in relation to what is already known.