Memory
Memory is the way your mind stores, and retrieves information over time. Interestingly, studying memory is one of the oldest forms of experimental research in psychology. Thanks to advances in neuroscience, memory is not currently regarded as a single process, or a single system in the brain, but rather multiple systems that operate in parallel. To some extent, each different system in the brain has its own memory.
Encoding
Encoding is the first process your brain goes through to create a new memory. It refers to getting information into the brain, so it can be stored, and later recalled. In this interactivity, you will discover various types of encoding. Click the player to begin.
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Storage
Once information is encoded, it can be stored in your memory and then later recalled, or retrieved, from storage. This process can happen via short-term memory or long-term memory. In this interactivity, you will explore how information is stored in your memory. Click the player to begin.
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Retrieval
While sometimes it is easy to retrieve your memories, other times you may find it is quite difficult. Various strategies exist to help with retrieval. This involves methods like visualization and mnemonic devices. When you struggle to retrieve information from your memory, it could be for several reasons, like interference or the tip-of-the-tongue phenomenon. In this interactivity, you will join the students at Woodlawn Heights High School as they discuss retrieval with each other and Mr. Baker. Click the player to begin.
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Forgetting
Severe memory loss may be diagnosed as amnesia. For example, most people cannot recall events before the age of three. This type of forgetting is called infantile amnesia. Retrograde amnesia is the inability to recall past events. Anterograde amnesia is the inability to store new memories.
Typically, when you forget something, it is because of a failure in your memory processes: encoding, storage, or retrieval. Sometimes, however, you may forget because of an injury that results in a physical or mental trauma. In the video, How Good is Your Memory: BrainCraft, from eMediaVASM, you will learn about Henry Molaison (HM), a man famous for having a bad memory. As you watch, think about what HM can and cannot do because of a brain injury. What does this tell you about forgetting?
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| Hermann Ebbinghaus |
A common cause of forgetting is decay, which occurs if information is not used or accessed. Memory researcher Hermann Ebbinghaus (1850-1909) found that if information is not used, it fades fairly quickly from your memory. One of the major contributions this psychologist made to the field was the Ebbinghaus Forgetting Curve, which described the correlation between time and forgetting. Specifically, Ebbinghaus discovered that information is often rapidly lost when it is first learned. After a bit of time, the speed at which information is lost levels out. This shows that once information is stored in long-term memory, it usually remains there. For example, if you took a Chinese class but then never used the vocabulary after the class ended, you would forget 90% of the material. You would, however, hold onto about 10% indefinitely.
Many people incorrectly assume that memories are exact recordings of events. In reality, memories are very malleable, and are only reconstructions of what we think happened. Have you ever argued with someone because you each recalled an event differently? Research that points to the limitations of memory reconstruction has led to changes in many state laws that involve the role of eyewitness testimonies in prosecuting alleged offenders.
Although it feels frustrating to forget information, it is actually an important part of remembering. In the video, The Upside of Forgetting: BrainCraft, from eMediaVASM, you will learn the value of forgetting. As you watch the video, think about what would happen if you remembered everything all of the time.
Memory Review
Now that you have learned a bit about memory, review your knowledge in this non-graded activity. Click the player to get started.