You call the post office for a ZIP code that you need, just after you looked up the phone number. Unfortunately, you dial the wrong number. You attempt to dial again, only to discover that you've forgotten the phone number. From an information-processing standpoint, how can this be explained?
A) Information in long-term memory was not properly stored.
B) Information in working memory began to disappear after twenty seconds or so.
C) Information in the sensory register was not sufficiently attended to.
D) Information in short-term memory was improperly encoded.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Information in working memory can begin to fade after about twenty seconds if it is not actively rehearsed or encoded into long-term memory, explaining why the phone number was forgotten after a brief distraction.

You Call the Post Office for a ZIP Code That