Final answer:
The most useful procedure for studying the duration of short-term memory is a memory distractor task, as it addresses how interference affects memory loss over time. Memory span tasks measure capacity but not duration directly, and temporal integration procedures deal with the timing of combined information rather than memory duration.
Step-by-step explanation:
The procedure that would be most useful in studying the duration of short-term memory is a memory distractor task. This type of task can demonstrate how quickly information is lost from short-term memory when there is interference or distraction following the initial learning. The temporal integration procedure might be more related to understanding the intervals at which information is combined over time and is less direct in studying short-term duration specifically. A memory span task, while it measures the capacity of short-term memory, might not provide the best insight into the duration aspect because it does not typically involve studying the decay of information over a delimited time period.
To address related concepts, the three functions of memory are encoding, storage, and retrieval. Damage to the hippocampus could lead to difficulties in forming new memories. Proactive and retroactive interference both affect how information is stored and can lead to forgetting, which is a pertinent concern for short-term memory retention. Long-term memory, in contrast to short-term memory, has an unlimited capacity and involves consolidation processes at both the synaptic level and within the memory system over a longer duration.