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A pilot is flying a twin-engine aircraft and communicating with ATC because there is proximate traffic. When he/she is looking out for the traffic, he/she performs a quick scan of his/her instrument panel and notices that the oil pressure on one engine is low.

The information about the oil pressure level will be kept in the ___; ___.

  • A

    Long-term memory; indefinitely

  • B

    Sensory memory; for a fraction of a second

  • C

    Working memory; up to 20 seconds

  • D
    Short-term memory; for a few minutes

Refer to figures.

Working memory, as the name implies, stores information that is in use at the moment. The capacity of the working memory is limited to 5 plus/minus 2 items, which can be stored for an average period of 15 to 20 seconds. The information in the working memory is highly susceptible to interference - Any new information that enters the working memory will quickly displace old information.

There are many examples of things that pilots have to hold in working memory during flight. Examples of information from the environment are frequencies that have to be selected on the radio or navigation receivers and air traffic control instructions.

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