Final answer:
Retrieval is the conscious, active processing of retrieving information from memory storage into conscious awareness. This encompasses recall, recognition, and relearning, and is a key function of memory, following encoding and storage as described in the Atkinson-Shiffrin model.
Step-by-step explanation:
The conscious, active processing of incoming information and information retrieved from long-term storage is known as retrieval. Retrieval is a crucial function of memory that allows us to bring stored information back into conscious awareness. This process can manifest through different methods such as recall, recognition, and relearning. Recall is accessing information without cues; recognition involves identifying previously learned information when you encounter it again and relearning is the process of learning information that you have previously learned and stored in long-term memory.
According to the Atkinson-Shiffrin model, memory consists of three main functions: encoding, storage, and retrieval. Encoding is how we get information into our memory system, often through effortful processing like rehearsal, while storage is the retention of that information within our memory system. Retrieval is the final step, allowing the information that was encoded and stored to be brought back to mind for usage.