Encoding is the initial processing of information, converting sensory input into a form the brain can store.

• A. Storage
• B. Encoding
• C. Retrieval
• D. Attention

Answer: (B)

Encoding is the first stage of memory processing, where sensory input is transformed into a mental representation the brain can store. This is why it’s the best choice: it captures the initial processing that makes information eligible for later storage and eventual retrieval. Once information is encoded, it can be maintained through storage and later accessed via retrieval. Attention influences encoding by determining what gets processed more deeply, but by itself it isn’t the process of converting input into a storable form. The other terms describe later stages or related factors: storage means keeping information over time, while retrieval means accessing it after it has been stored.