Which type of memory involves the retention of stimuli after the stimuli is removed and lasts less than a second?

The type of memory that involves the retention of stimuli after those stimuli have been removed and lasts less than a second is sensory memory. This form of memory acts like a buffer for stimuli received through the senses, capturing them for a brief moment before they either fade or are processed into further stages of memory, such as short-term memory.

Sensory memory is essential for allowing individuals to perceive and respond to their environment without losing information due to fleeting sensory experiences. It encompasses different modalities, including iconic memory for visual stimuli and echoic memory for auditory stimuli. The extremely short duration of sensory memory, typically less than a second, is crucial to our ability to maintain a coherent perception of the world, allowing us to process incoming information almost instantaneously.

In contrast, short-term memory holds information for a slightly longer period, usually around 15 to 30 seconds, while working memory involves the active manipulation and processing of information within that short-term framework. Long-term memory, on the other hand, is where information is stored for extended periods, potentially for a lifetime, making it significantly different from the fleeting nature of sensory memory.