Which type of stimuli assist people in retrieving memories and can be both external and internal?

Retrieval cues are essential in the memory process as they facilitate the recall of information stored in memory. These cues can be categorized as either external, such as references in the environment or prompts provided to a person, or internal, such as thoughts or feelings that arise from within the individual. The presence of appropriate retrieval cues can significantly enhance the ability to access specific memories, making them a crucial element in understanding how memory works.

For example, when attempting to remember a particular event, a person might recall the smell of a specific food that was present during that time. This sensory cue serves as an internal retrieval cue, while an external retrieval cue might be a photograph from that event prompting the recall of associated memories. This dual nature of retrieval cues makes them uniquely effective in memory retrieval processes.

Other options, while they may be related concepts in memory and cognition, do not encompass the broad scope of stimuli like retrieval cues do. Retention cues might imply ways of holding onto information rather than accessing it, recall cues tend to focus on the act of remembering itself rather than the triggers for memory, and identification cues are more aligned with recognizing information rather than retrieving it. Thus, retrieval cues is the most accurate choice.