Which process involves maintaining encoded information in memory?

The process that involves maintaining encoded information in memory is storage. Storage refers to the system's ability to hold onto the information after it has been encoded. This involves organizing and retaining various types of information over time so that it can be accessed later.

Encoding is the initial step where information is transformed into a format that can be stored in memory, but it does not involve the maintenance of that information. Retrieval is the process of accessing and bringing stored information back to consciousness, which occurs after the information has already been stored. Attention refers to the cognitive process of focusing on specific stimuli while ignoring others, which is essential during encoding but does not pertain to the maintenance of information in memory. Thus, storage is the correct answer as it specifically describes the state of keeping that encoded information for future use.