Final answer:
Consciously knowing facts and experiences requires effortful processing, which demands increased attention and mental effort. Automatic processing contributes to daily tasks, but active engagement is needed for conscious learning and retention.
Step-by-step explanation:
The question addresses the processes involved in consciously knowing facts and experiences. Of the options provided, effortful processing is most aligned with the requirements for conscious learning and retention. While there is certainly a place for automatic or effortless processing in our mental operations, knowing facts and experiences consciously involves actively engaging with the information, which demands attention and effort. This type of processing is contrasted with tasks we do on 'autopilot', which require minimal conscious thought. The intense resources of attention and rational calculation are key to consciousness and learning. Additionally, practices such as the SIFT method for evaluating sources demonstrate the deliberate effort needed to acquire reliable knowledge.