Which memory is described as probably stored here forever, but retrieval may be problematic?

• A. Long-term memory
• B. Short-term memory
• C. Working memory
• D. Sensory memory

Answer: (A)

This item tests how memory types differ in how long information lasts and how easy it is to recall. Long-term memory is meant for storing information over long periods, potentially for life. The storage can be durable, so the information remains accessible in principle, but retrieval isn’t always reliable. You can have memories that are stored but momentarily inaccessible due to cues, context, or interference from other memories, which makes retrieval problematic even though the memory persists.

Short-term memory holds information only briefly unless it’s actively rehearsed, and working memory is the active system used to manipulate and work with that information. Sensory memory is a very brief register of incoming sensory data. Because of that, the description best fits long-term memory.