Memory

Sensory memory, or sensory register, notes or registers sensory stimuli as they are experienced. It consists of representations of the outside world as experienced through the senses such as touch, sight, or smell. It holds information for approximately one to two seconds. If, for instance, you glance at the ocean and turn away, the image of the ocean will be lost in one to two seconds unless the image is quickly transferred into the short-term memory system. The contents of sensory memory are constantly changing as new stimuli are perceived. Information that does not fade from sensory memory enters short-term memory.