While several different models of memory have been proposed, the stage model of memory is often used to explain the basic structure and function of memory. Initially proposed in 1968 by Richard Atkinson and Richard Shiffrin, this theory outlines three separate stages or types of memory: sensory memory, short-term memory, and long-term memory.
Sensory Memory
Sensory memory is the earliest stage of memory. During this stage, sensory information from the environment is stored for a very brief period of time, generally for no longer than a half-second for visual information and three or four seconds for auditory information.
People only pay attention to certain aspects of this sensory memory. Attending to sensory memory allows some of this information to pass into the next stage: short-term memory.
What Is Sensory Memory?
Short-Term Memory
Short-term memory, also known as active memory, is the information we are currently aware of or thinking about. In Freudian psychology, this memory would be referred to as the conscious mind. Paying attention to sensory memories generates information in short-term memory.
While many of our short-term memories are quickly forgotten, attending to this information allows it to continue to the next stage: long-term memory. Most of the information stored in active memory will be kept for approximately 20 to 30 seconds.
This capacity can be stretched somewhat by using memory strategies such as chunking, which involves grouping related information into smaller chunks.
Long-Term Memory
Long-term memory refers to the continuing storage of information. In Freudian psychology, long-term memory would be called the preconscious and unconscious.
This information is largely outside of our awareness but can be called into working memory to be used when needed. Some memories are fairly easy to recall, while others are much more difficult to access.
Why We Forget
Forgetting is a surprisingly common event. Just consider how easy it is to forget someone’s name or overlook an important appointment. Why do people so often forget information they have learned in the past?
There are four basic explanations for why forgetting occurs:
Failure to store a memory
Interference9
Motivated forgetting
Retrieval failure
Sometimes information is simply lost from memory and, in other cases, it was never stored correctly in the first place. Some memories compete with one another, making it difficult to remember certain information. In other instances, people actively try to forget things that they simply don’t want to remember.
How to Improve Memory
No matter how great your memory is, there are probably a few things you can do to make it even better. Useful strategies to deal with mild memory loss include:
Write it down: The act of writing with a pen and paper helps implant the memory into your brain-and can also serve as a reminder or reference later on.
Attach meaning to it: You can remember something more easily if you attach meaning to it. For instance, if you associate a person you just meet with someone you already know, you may be able to remember their name better.
Repeat it: Repetition helps the memory become encoded beyond your short-term memory.
Group it: Information that is categorized becomes easier to remember and recall.
Test yourself: While it may seem like studying and rehearsing information is the best way to ensure that you will remember it, researchers have found that being tested on information is actually one of the best ways to improve recall.
Take a mental picture: Systematically trying to make a mental note of things you often forget (such as where you left your car keys) can help you remember things better.
Get enough rest: Research has also found that sleep plays a critical role in learning and the formation of new memories.
Use memorization techniques: Rehearsing information, employing mnemonics, and other memorization strategies can help combat minor memory problems.
To help protect your brain as you age, try some of these lifestyle strategies:
Avoid stress: Research has found that stress can have detrimental effects on areas of the brain associated with memory, including the hippocampus.
Avoid drugs, alcohol, and other neurotoxins: Drug use and excessive alcohol consumption have been linked to the deterioration of synapses (the connections between neurons).
Get enough exercise: Regular physical activity helps improve oxygenation of the brain, which is vital for synaptic formation and growth.
Stimulate your brain: When it comes to memory, there is a lot of truth to the old adage of "use it or lose it." Researchers have found that people who have more mentally stimulating jobs are less likely to develop dementia.
Maintain a sense of self-efficacy: Having a strong sense of self-efficacy has been associated with maintaining good memory abilities during old age.
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6 июл 2024
