Question

On their twenty-fifth anniversary, Carol tells her husband, Charles, "You know, dear, I remember our first kiss very well." In remembering their first kiss, Carol is retrieving information from ________ memory.

a. Sensory
b. Short-term
c. Long-term
d. Flashbulb

Answer 1

Carol is recalling her first kiss using her long-term memory, which is responsible for the storage of information over an extended period, including personal experiences like her first kiss.

Step-by-step explanation:

When Carol remembers her first kiss on the twenty-fifth anniversary with her husband, Charles, she is retrieving information from long-term memory. Long-term memory (LTM) is the continuous storage of information, which includes explicit memory and implicit memory.

Explicit memories are those we consciously try to recall, and in this case, the first kiss would be an episodic memory, a type of explicit memory that is part of our personal experiences. This differs from flashbulb memory, which is an exceptionally clear recollection of an important event, often associated with strong emotional content and national or global significance.

The correct answer to the student's question is "c. Long-term", as sensory memory holds brief sensory events for a few seconds, and short-term memory holds information temporarily before it is forgotten or stored. Flashbulb memories, while vivid and lasting, refer to significant and emotionally charged events that are often shared socially, such as recollections of where one was during the 9/11 terrorist attacks.