Question

As you are driving to your friend's house you realize that you've made a wrong turn, so you stop at a gas station to ask for directions. To remember the information you are given, you need to utilize your _____ memory.

a) Sensory
b) Short-term
c) Long-term
d) Episodic

Answer 1

To remember the directions received at the gas station, you would use your short-term memory, which holds information temporarily as you process and act upon it.

Step-by-step explanation:

To remember the directions you are given at the gas station, you need to utilize your short-term memory. This type of memory is also known as working or active memory and is localized to the prefrontal lobe of the brain. Short-term memory holds information that is being used and is about to be stored or forgotten, typically retaining about seven items for a short period. It encompasses the information that has been retrieved and is being processed.

Short-term memory is crucial for tasks such as following directions, as it allows you to hold onto the sequence of steps given to you until you reach your destination. Once you use the information to arrive at your friend's house, it may either be forgotten or, if deemed important, may be transferred to long-term memory, which is the continuous storage of information.