5 THE ROLE OF LEARNING IN MEMORYThe memory of a person has a central role in the processing of information, andtherefore it is of great importance for the understanding of cognitive learning.Solomon et al. (1999, 75) argue that memory involves acquiring information andstoring it over time so that it is available when needed. Contemporary approaches tothe study of memory employ an information-processing point of view. Theoristsassume that the mind works in some way like a computer; first the data is input,processed and output for later use in revised form.The memory process consists of three stages: encoding, storage, and retrieval. In theencoding stage information is entered in a form that the system recognises. Next, theinformation is integrated with what is already in memory, and then it is stored for lateruse. In the last stage, i.e. retrieval, the person accesses the desired information. Thememory process is summarized in Figure 3.External inputsFigure 3. The memory process (Solomon et al. 1999, 76)Marketers rely on consumers preserving the information they have learned aboutproducts and services; trusting that later it will be applied in purchase decisions.During the consumer decision-making process, a personsinternal memory is‟combined with external memory, i.e. all the products details on packages in shoppinglists, to permit brand alternatives to be identified and evaluated (Solomon et al. 1999,76).
