Short Memory : Long Term Memory

According to philosopher-psychologist William James, memory is a generalized concept that encompasses the long term and short term memory. Kendra Cherry, psychologist expert, defines long term memory as “storage of information over an extended period.” (Cherry n.d.) An individual’s long term memory is structured by a semi-permanent chemical and the anatomical hippocampus. The hippocampus is in the center of both hemispheres of the brain and works in accordance with the amygdala to allow information to be imported to form memories. In relation to her research of the long term memory, Cherry also provided information on the characterization of the short memory which is described as, the “primary or active memory” that presently takes in information. (Cherry n.d.) The thalamus is a large portion of a dual lobed mass of matter that is located under the cerebral cortex.

Memory is divided into three categories. These categories consist of: sensory memory, short term memory and long term memory, out of these short term memory is the main focus in this essay. It has been widely researched due to interest of how much memory can be stored, how long this memory can be stored for and what information is memorised.

* Semantic memory- general knowledge that is not tied to the time when information was learnt

Memory refers to the persistence of learning in a state that can be revealed at a later time (Squire, 1987). A memory is a network of neocortical neurons and the connections that link them. That network is formed by experience as a result of the concurrent activation of neuronal ensembles that

Memory is the retention of information over time and it changes through our lifespan, from infancy through adulthood (Santrock 218). There are two types of memory, explicit and implicit.

|  Episodic memory is recollection of specific events;  Semantic memory is the recollection of general knowledge and facts.

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

Declarative memory is further divided into semantic memory and episodic memory. Semantic memory is an acquired meaning of structured record of facts, meanings, concepts and knowledge about the external world whereas episodic memory is memories of experiences and specific events in time that are often autobiographical and have emotions associated with them.

Memory is crucial to our lives, it allows us to function presently, moving toward the future. The capability of learning from our accumulated past experiences is the result of memory. Memories can be vivid and long-lasting, or short and unsteady. Memories may not always be ever-lasting, but the impact of them is. They allow us to form relationships throughout our life.

Some scientists believe that parts of long term memory are permanent while others will eventually weaken over time. (3) Long term memory can be divided into three sections: procedural memory, declarative memory, and remote memory. Procedural memory includes motor skills such as learning how to ride a bike or how to drive a car. "Such memories are slow to acquire but more resistant to change or loss." (4) Declarative memory is used to remember facts, such as names, dates and places. It is easy to learn but also easy to lose. Finally there is episodic memory, which is the record of events that a person stores throughout his or her experience. Recent studies show that these events, as soon as they occur, are sent to a temporary part of the brain called the hippocampus, and that over time they are moved to the neocortex for permanent storage. (5).

1. “The authors refer to “episodic-like memory” as the kind of episodic memory present in nonhuman animals. Based on the rationale provided by the authors in the introduction of the article, as well as on the characteristics of episodic memory postulated by Tulving, explain how episodic-like memory is similar to and how it is different from human episodic memory?(8 points)”

Memory is a property of the human mind. It describes the ability to retain information. There are different types of classifications for memory based on duration, nature and retrieval of items.

Throughout the article, Tulving examines two different kinds of human memory retrieval processes, one being episodic retrieval and the other being semantic retrieval. The central thesis that is proposed in this article is that episodic and semantic memory systems are similar, as they:

Semantic memory is the second type of long-term memory. It is a part of declarative memory that acquires the basic knowledge and facts about the world. Unlike episodic memory which represents a person’s personal experience that involves emotion and feeling, the semantic memory represents all of the factual knowledge that one person acquires over a lifetime and it is not related to the emotion or feeling, it is just the facts and knowledge that count. Next, there is a wide range of semantic memory from knowledge of words and its meaning, all kind of concepts and the basic facts about the world such as knowing the birds can fly, the color of grass is green, the USA stands for the United State of America and what is skipping rope. Another example

(1). Therefore, once one sees something else or takes part in a new conversation is it difficult to remember all of the details from the one before. Declarative memory includes remembering facts one has used effort to learn in the past, and things one has tried to remember. The last part of memory, procedural memory, consists of everything one has learned by repetition, such as playing an instrument or sport, driving a car, or walking.