Duration - GCSE Psychology Definition

In GCSE Psychology, "duration" refers to the amount of time information can be stored in memory. It tells us how long we can keep and use the information in our short-term or long-term memory.

For example, short-term memory usually has a duration of about 15 to 30 seconds, which means you can hold a small amount of information, like a phone number, for a short time before it fades away. On the other hand, long-term memory can store information for much longer, from a few minutes to a lifetime, allowing us to remember things like our birthday or how to ride a bike.

Understanding duration helps psychologists explore how memory works and why we sometimes forget things.