Lesson 3.1.1.1.1

3.1.1.1.1 Encoding, storage and retrieval: how memories are encoded and stored Quiz: AQA Psychology, Unit 1

20 questions

Written by Revision Ninja · Last reviewed 11 October 2026

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Lesson 3.1.1.1.1, Encoding, storage and retrieval: how memories are encoded and stored: 20 multiple choice questions for the AQA GCSE Psychology (8182), Unit 1: Memory, written with Revision Ninja.

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The 20 questions

  1. Which memory process changes incoming information into a code that the memory system can hold?

    • Retrieval, bringing stored information back out of the memory when it is needed
    • Encoding, changing incoming information into a code the memory system can store
    • Storage, keeping encoded information in the memory system over a period of time
    • Recognition, judging whether an item matches something met before rather than recalling it

  2. Which stage of memory is the output stage, when stored information is accessed and used?

    • Consolidation, strengthening a memory trace so that it becomes more resistant to forgetting
    • Encoding, converting sensory input into a form that the memory system can hold
    • Retrieval, locating stored information and bringing it back into conscious awareness
    • Storage, maintaining information in the memory system so that it persists across time

  3. In the memory process, what does storage refer to?

    • Bringing stored information back out of the memory for use in a task
    • Changing sensory input into a code the memory system can recognise and use
    • Judging whether a presented item is the same as one seen earlier in the session
    • Keeping encoded information in the memory system so that it can persist over time

  4. Which three stages make up the memory process as described in the specification?

    • Encoding, storage and retrieval
    • Acquisition, consolidation and recognition
    • Input, rehearsal and forgetting
    • Sensation, perception and attention

  5. Which term describes the input part of the memory process?

    • Forgetting, the loss of stored material because it is no longer accessible
    • Encoding, the conversion of incoming information into a memory code
    • Storage, the holding of coded material in the memory over a period of time
    • Retrieval, the recovery of stored material from the memory for later use

  6. A student hears a new word in a lesson and uses its meaning correctly in an exam weeks later. Which process does the exam answer show?

    • Encoding, changing the lesson input into a form the memory can hold
    • Sensation, detecting the sound of the word through the ears during the lesson
    • Retrieval, getting the stored word and its meaning back out of memory
    • Storage, keeping the word in memory until the exam takes place

  7. A girl hears a poem read aloud and her memory codes the words as sounds. Which stage is being described?

    • Storage, because the poem is kept in memory for a period of time
    • Attention, because the girl focuses on the words while she listens to the poem
    • Retrieval, because the poem is recalled from long-term memory later on
    • Encoding, because sensory input is changed into a form the memory can use

  8. A person remembers a friend's birthday for years. Which stage explains why the information still exists?

    • Encoding, because the birthday was changed into a memory code when first learnt
    • Recognition, because the person can match a presented date to one already known
    • Retrieval, because the birthday is brought back out whenever someone asks about it
    • Storage, because the encoded information is kept in the memory system over time

  9. A witness can describe a crime clearly when prompted, but the detail is unavailable when asked in court. Which stage has most likely failed?

    • Perception, because the witness did not notice the detail when the crime happened
    • Storage, because the detail was lost from the memory system during the trial
    • Retrieval, because the stored detail cannot be located and brought back out
    • Encoding, because the detail was never converted into a code the memory could hold

  10. Which example best shows encoding rather than storage?

    • A student keeps a definition in memory and still knows it a week later
    • A student searches memory for a definition to answer a question asked in class
    • A student copies a definition from the board and reads it back to a classmate in full
    • A student hears a new definition and turns the spoken words into a meaning they can process

  11. A memory is stored correctly, but a person cannot recall it in a test because no useful cue is available. Which explanation fits best?

    • The memory was retrieved in full but the person chose not to share the answer in the test
    • The memory exists in storage, but retrieval fails because the cues needed to access it are absent
    • The memory was encoded but storage failed, so the trace has disappeared completely
    • The memory was never encoded, so there was nothing to store in the first place

  12. Why must encoding, storage and retrieval all work for a memory to be recalled later?

    • Each stage depends on the one before, so a failure at any stage stops the memory being recalled
    • Encoding and retrieval are the same process, so only one of them has to succeed
    • Retrieval happens first, so encoding is only needed after a memory has been recalled
    • Storage works independently, so a memory can be recalled even if encoding failed

  13. Which description best matches the output of the memory system?

    • Information brought back from storage and used in thought or behaviour, which is retrieval
    • Sensory information passed on to a short-term store so that it can be rehearsed
    • Information that has been noticed and attended to, so it can be encoded later
    • Coded information held in a store until the next time the person sees it again

  14. A learner says they stored a fact well but can only use it in lessons where the same teacher is present. What is the most likely cause?

    • The fact was never encoded, so it cannot be stored and is lost after each lesson
    • Storage is limited to one lesson, so the fact is lost when the lesson ends
    • Retrieval cues that match the original learning context are needed to access the stored fact
    • The learner has used the wrong sense to encode the fact, so it cannot be used elsewhere

  15. Which action would most directly improve the retrieval stage of memory?

    • Listening to the same lecture a second time while taking no notes at all
    • Reading the notes again, several times, without any attempt to recall them
    • Storing the notes in a folder, so that they stay safe for a longer period
    • Practising recalling the information from memory without looking at notes

  16. A learner wants to make sure a formula is encoded properly. Which approach is most likely to help at the encoding stage?

    • Storing the formula on a card in a drawer, so that it is safe for the exam day
    • Paying close attention to the formula and working out what each part of it means
    • Skipping the formula and waiting until the exam to read it for the first time
    • Copying the formula out many times without thinking about what each symbol means

  17. Which statement about the three memory stages is correct?

    • They work in sequence, so information must be encoded before it can be stored and then retrieved
    • They work at the same time, so information can be retrieved before it is encoded
    • They only apply to long-term memory, so short-term memory does not need encoding at all
    • They are independent, so information can be stored without ever being encoded first

  18. A student recalls a method for a science practical in the exam because they practised it many times in class. Which stage was strengthened by the practice?

    • Sensation, because repetition makes the method easier to see on the board
    • Attention, because repetition means the student no longer needs to focus on the method
    • Storage, because repetition keeps the encoded method available in memory over time
    • Perception, because repetition changes how the student interprets the method's steps

  19. A learner cannot find a stored memory of a holiday when asked about it, yet later it comes back when they see a photo of the place. What does this suggest?

    • The memory was stored and the photo acted as a cue that helped retrieval
    • The memory was retrieved first, so the photo only helped to encode it a second time
    • The memory was never encoded, so the photo created it from nothing at that moment
    • The memory was lost from storage, so the photo has added a new memory to replace it

  20. Which example best describes encoding a visual memory?

    • Deciding whether a road sign shown in a test is the same as one seen on a journey
    • Keeping a road sign in memory for several weeks after first seeing it on a journey
    • Turning an image of a road sign into a meaningful representation the memory can keep
    • Recalling the colour of a road sign when a driver is asked about it at a test

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