Ordering the three memory stages by how long information is held gives:

1. Each stage holds information for longer than the one before it. 2. In order for a memory to go into storage, that is long-term memory, it has to pass through three distinct stages. 3. Those stages are sensory memory, short-term memory, and finally long-term memory. 4. Sensory memory holds an impression for a fraction of a second. 5. Long-term memory can hold material for a lifetime. _Source: OpenStax Psychology 2e (CC BY 4.0), Ch 8 'Memory', sections 8.1-8.4_