Difficulty: Easy

Average Score: 86%

Which of the following situations is an example of using short-term memory?

Rationale

Karen takes a lunch order without writing it down, walks to the kitchen, and places the order correctly.

This scenario exemplifies short-term memory as Karen relies on her ability to temporarily hold information in her mind while she completes a task without external aids. Short-term memory is characterized by the limited capacity to retain information for brief periods, which is precisely what Karen demonstrates in this situation.

A (Karen takes a lunch order without writing it down, walks to the kitchen, and places the order correctly.) CORRECT

In this case, Karen uses her short-term memory to remember the lunch order just long enough to communicate it to the kitchen. This requires the active retention of information for a short duration, making it a clear example of short-term memory in action.

B (Steve, a twenty-year-old man, is able to recall the names of his elementary school teachers.) YOUR ANSWER

This scenario involves long-term memory, as recalling names from elementary school indicates that Steve has stored this information over an extended period. Long-term memory is characterized by the ability to retain information for longer durations, contrasting with the more transient nature of short-term memory.

C (When Daryl purchases items online, he enters his sixteen-digit credit card number from memory.) YOUR ANSWER

Although Daryl's action demonstrates memory use, it leans towards long-term memory since a credit card number is typically memorized over time and not retained for immediate recall. This illustrates the difference between recalling a well-learned piece of information and the more fleeting nature of short-term memory tasks.

D (Juan is starting a new job. He looks on a map to find the location of his new work site and the next day drives there with no wrong turns.) YOUR ANSWER

Juan's scenario suggests a combination of short-term and long-term memory, as he initially uses short-term memory to remember the directions from the map, but successfully driving there the next day indicates that he has transferred this information into long-term memory.

Conclusion

Short-term memory plays a crucial role in everyday tasks that require the temporary retention of information. Karen's ability to place the lunch order correctly without writing it down exemplifies this concept, while the other options illustrate various forms of memory retention, including long-term memory. Recognizing the distinctions between these types of memory aids in understanding how we process and utilize information in different contexts.

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