What is the role of rehearsal in working memory?

• A. Rehearsal reduces cognitive load by removing items.
• B. Rehearsal helps transfer information from short-term memory to long-term memory.
• C. Rehearsal erases traces of memory.
• D. Rehearsal converts visual information into auditory representations.

Answer: (B)

Rehearsal in working memory mainly serves to convert and strengthen information so it’s stored more durably in memory. By repeating items—often subvocally—the phonological loop keeps them active and also supports encoding processes that transfer them from short-term storage into long-term memory. This is why rehearsal is linked to better later recall: it helps create stronger, longer-lasting memory traces.

The other ideas don’t fit as well. Rehearsal doesn’t remove items to reduce cognitive load, it doesn’t erase memory traces, and while it can involve translating a visual item into a phonological form for maintenance, its primary role in this context is facilitating encoding into long-term memory.