Memory Is A Terrible Thing

Steve Jobs once said, "You and I have memories longer he road that stretches out ahead". The brain is so detailed and holds so much information in every little area. There are so many things happening in the brain at once, and one of the most fascinating things would be memory. The memory has various abilities that make it so complex, including the memory system, how it functions, and memory retrieval, along with the capacity to memorize certain ideas easier

It is a common belief today that as we get older our memory deteriorates, making us forget the simplest of things. Whether it is losing a set of keys or forgetting a family members name, these common problems show the fact that people 's memories over time continue to get worse. Sometimes their memory is even worse than they think it is.

Many different parts of the brain control a person’s memory, but the most important part is the frontal lobe. It controls working and short term memory. Due to the processes of stimulus of the sensory memory which transmits to the frontal lobe, people can, on average, recall 7 items after looking at them for 15 seconds. Neuroscience journal In the frontal lobe, encoding, storage, and retrieval occur in an effort to not lose

The human memory is one of the most interesting things to learn about but also one of the most challenging. In this essay I will explore the human memory and how it relates to the following things: information processing theory, nature of sensory register, and the role of attention. I will also explain to the best of my ability the nature of the working memory, how the brain connect new information with prior knowledge and the nature of long term memory. Finally I will provide strategies as to how a person can transfers something to their long term memory and how a person can enhance retrieval of information from their long term memory.

The results of the experiment indicate that recall is more accurate and easier when a set of numbers are smaller chunks as opposed to larger chunks. The mean recall of the control group was 8.81 compared to a mean of 4.69 in the experimental group. These findings are consistent with David W. Fendrich and Raina Arengo’s (2003) findings which indicate that the length of a string of numbers does affect the ability to recall. Although the participants found it significantly harder to remember the numbers in larger chunks, the results do indicate that it is difficult for participants to recall chunks when the number of chunks surpass the “Magical Number Seven” plus or minus two based on Miller’s (1956) findings. This supports the hypothesis of this experiment and confirms the findings of the original experiment. However, the results may have occurred because of the overwhelming amount of numbers in the experimental group as opposed to the minor amount of numbers in the control.

In the section “Tips from the Science of Memory-for Studying and for Life”, found in our textbook, “Experience Psychology”, the Arthur Laura A. King discusses the importance of study habits. She addresses the skills needed to turn short-term memory into long-term memory through organizing, encoding, rehearsing and retrieving the information we study and memorize. “No matter what the model of memory you use, you can sharpen your memory by thinking deeply about the “material” of life and connecting the information to other things you know.” (King. 2013).

Memory is one of the most important things we have in our life because it involves in almost every part of our mind including problem solving, decision making, and our interest in life. We depend on it because it helps us make good decisions in life. Memory is the solution in learning and thinking and we use it in our everyday life. Think about the first time you kissed someone you loved or the time you learned how to tie your shoe for the first time. Those are all forms of memory whether they are short or long term. If you do not remember anything from the past then you are having a hard time managing your memory. Without memory you would be exposed to new and extraordinary things in life. Take for example, “Aliens, Love where are they?” by John Hodgman and “Jon” by George Saunders. John Hodgman and Jon both teach readers how without memories we would have a difficult time knowing who we are, who we love, and what we want in life.

Memory retrieval skills gradually deteriorate over a person’s lifespan. It becomes harder to remember events and recall what was learned. Forgetting something doesn’t mean the memory is gone, it’s just a retrieval failure. Inside Out displays what happens to long term memories when they are forgotten. We see that the glassy memory orbs darken and desaturate in color, and ‘mind workers’ regularly clean out the old memories. This is quite similar to pruning, as it shows how not all memories retain the same duration. There are ways, however, to improve retrieval. Professors McDermott and Roediger suggest, “Relating new information to what one already knows, forming mental images, and creating associations among information that needs to be remembered. (McDermott & Roediger,

Additionally, to further support these theories, researchers tend to conduct studies on the famous patient case, HM, to propose the consolidation deficit theory, in which those with amnesia cannot turn short-term memories into long-term memories (Dewar et al., 2010). However, researchers Dewar, Della Sala, Beschin, and Cowan (2010), mentioned that HM’s case does not fully explain why a patient with anterograde amnesia has the ability to get better at cognitive tasks despite being unable to recall having performed those tasks at a previous time. On the same hand, Duff, Wszalek, Tranel, and Cohen (2008) mentioned that most individuals with anterograde amnesia experience heightened intelligence, attention, skill, and reasoning levels (procedural memory).

Memory in the human brain is a complex process which is easier understood by the use of theoretical constructs. Memories begin as sensory stimuli which become sensory memory which only last about one second, from there it moves into working memory which lasts for about twenty to thirty seconds and is used to process information. Within working memory there are a few separate processes, the central executive which directs attention, the episodic buffer which is a secondary storage lasting ten to twenty seconds, this area communicates with long term memory as well as the central executive. The visuospatial sketchpad which is used to visualise visual and spacial

Research has long proven demonstrated the human brains’ limitations in recall. As one attempts to remember more than six to seven tasks, there are diminishing returns in efficiency. In addition, persistent exposure to stressful stimuli (as is very common in

As part of the human age process, memory tends to decline. This is a problem we will all have to face sooner or later.

While reading Memory and Being a Successful College student I have come to realize that our memory has a key role in our learning. Without our memory we would not be able to learn for the reason that when we recieve new information there has to be a place to store it this is when our consciousness comes to take care of us. But many people see it as by just listening you will acquire the knowledge however the mind is more complex than that since our brain gets distracted, and has three types of memory. The first reason was our brain gets distracted by your surrounding this is known as secondary task but there is a way to limit your attention so you can focus on what you really need to learn. To do this you need to think of you attention as a

Loosli, Rahm, Unterrainer, Weiller, and Kaller (2013) conducted a study investigating life span development of item-specific proactive interference in individual’s working memory. Postle, Brush, and Nick (2004) found that proactive interference is previous important information in working memory (as cited in Loosli et al., 2013). Baddeley (1997) found that working memory is the power to maintain information for a short period of time and manipulate the information (as cited in Loosli et al., 2013). There are two types of proactive interference; the first one being item-nonspecific proactive interference. This type is when someone remembers information while performing another task that is no longer relevant to the current task they are performing.

Memory makes us. It is, to an extent, a collection of unique and personal experiences that we, as individuals, have amassed over our lifetime. It is what connects us to our past and what shapes our present and the future. If we are unable remember the what, when, where, and who of our everyday lives, our level of functioning would be greatly impacted. Memory is defined as or recognized as the “sum or total of what we remember.” Memory provides us the ability to learn and adjust to or from prior experiences. In addition, memory or our ability to remember plays an integral role in the building and sustaining of relationships. Additionally, memory is also a process; it is how we internalize and store our external environment and experiences. It entails the capacity to remember past experiences, and the process of recalling previous experiences, information, impressions, habits and skills to awareness. It is the storage of materials learned and/or retained from our experiences. This fact is demonstrated by the modification, adjustment and/or adaptation of structure or behavior. Furthermore, we as individuals, envision thoughts and ideas of the present through short-term memory, or in our working memory, we warehouse past experiences and learned values in long-term memory, also referred to as episodic or semantic memory. Most importantly, memory is malleable and it is intimately linked to our sense of identity and where we believe we belong in the world.