Final answer:
The three types of sensory memory are iconic, echoic, and haptic. Sensory memory briefly stores sensory information before it is processed into short-term memory. Further processing and encoding can lead to the formation of long-term memory, where explicit and implicit memories are stored.
Step-by-step explanation:
The three types of sensory memory are iconic memory, echoic memory, and haptic memory. Iconic memory refers to the visual sensory memory storage of images, which lasts only a fraction of a second. Echoic memory is the auditory sensory memory of sounds, which lasts up to several seconds after the original sound has ceased. Haptic memory pertains to the tactile sensory memory that allows us to retain the sensation of touch after the physical contact has ended. Sensory memory acts as the initial stage of the memory process, where brief sensory events such as sights, sounds, and tastes are stored temporarily before deciding whether to dismiss them or process them further into short-term memory (STM).
Short-term memory serves as a holding area for around seven bits of information and can involve information that we are actively using or that has been retrieved for some purpose. When information is processed through effortful or automatic encoding, retained in short-term memory, and perhaps rehearsed, it stands a chance of becoming long-term memory. Long-term memory is where information is stored more permanently, featuring types such as explicit and implicit memory. Explicit memory, or declarative memory, encompasses episodic and semantic memory, while implicit memory includes procedural memories and learned behaviors.