What is the typical duration of information held in short-term memory?

The typical duration of information held in short-term memory is around 12 to 20 seconds. This timeframe reflects research findings indicating that short-term memory has a limited capacity both in terms of how much information it can hold and how long it can retain it without rehearsal.

Information tends to fade rapidly from short-term memory unless it is actively rehearsed or encoded into long-term memory. The 12 to 20 seconds range supports the idea that while short-term memory can hold a small amount of information temporarily, its duration is brief. After this period, unless the information is transferred into longer-term storage, it is likely to be forgotten.

This duration is specifically studied in psychology and serves to contrast with long-term memory, which can retain information for an extended period, sometimes even a lifetime. The other options suggest either a duration that is too short or too long for the typical function of short-term memory.