Final answer:
The term for the brief sensory memory of visual stimuli is 'iconic memory,' part of sensory memory storage and crucial for visual encoding in the Atkinson-Shiffrin memory model.
Step-by-step explanation:
The term for the momentary sensory memory of visual stimuli, which is a photographic or picture-image memory lasting no more than a few tenths of a second, is known as iconic memory. Iconic memory is a part of the sensory memory storage that is responsible for retaining impressions of sensory information after the original stimulus has ceased. This form of memory allows for a very brief retention of an image or visual impression and is an essential component of the visual encoding process within the broader Atkinson-Shiffrin model, which posits that memory is divided into sensory memory, short-term memory (STM), and long-term memory (LTM).