Your best friend says something to you while you are in the middle of a task. You don't quite catch what he says, so you immediately ask him, "What?" He begins to repeat himself, but then you suddenly realize that you did hear what he said. You say, "Never mind, I heard you." Your friend is puzzled, wondering why you asked him to repeat himself if you had understood what he said the first time. Which statement best explains your behavior?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Echoic memory, a type of sensory memory, retains auditory information for up to several seconds. This allows you to "hear" the information again in your mind, even after the sound has stopped, explaining why you realized you had heard your friend after asking him to repeat himself.

Your Best Friend Says Something to You While You Are