Echoic memory

Echoic memory is a type of sensory memory that briefly stores sounds (auditory information or stimulus), allowing them to be digested and comprehended. Unlike most visual memory, where a person can choose how long to view the stimulus and can reassess it repeatedly, auditory stimuli are usually transient and cannot be reassessed. Since echoic memories are heard once, they are stored for slightly longer periods of time than iconic memories (visual memories). Auditory stimuli are received by the ear one at a time before they can be processed and understood.

Echoic memory has been described as a momentary "holding tank", where a sound is unprocessed (or held back) until the following sound is heard, and only then can it be interpreted in a meaningful way. This sensory store is capable of storing large amounts of auditory information that is only retained for a short period of time, typically 3 to 4 seconds. This echoic sound resonates in the mind and is replayed for this brief amount of time shortly after being heard.

Echoic memory encodes basic features of sound, such as spatial location or pitch. It does not store complex semantic information.

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