Do you ever remember doing or seeing something, and wonder to yourself how on earth did I remember that? Well, in this paper I will try to help you get a better understanding. I will explain how things you do, see, or hear become a memory. I will also discuss long term and short term memory along with why and what makes you forget. There will also be a page about amnesia , and the different systems and types of memories. I know at first it doesn’t sound that interesting, but if you just give it a chance I promise you will learn something new and interesting about human memory.
The first aspect I want to discuss is memory encoding which is basically how experiences transform into memories. Encoding takes something memorable from what you did or what you saw and turns that into a memory code. For example, if you listen to a song your brain is more likely to remember the hook or chorus more than the entire song. Another example, could be when you watch a football game you will probably remember the score more than you would remember every play that happened. Encoding itself can be successful or unsuccessful depending on what stimuli is activated. There have been many different tests trying to figure out which stimuli are effective and which are ineffective. Results are typically different each time you take a test especially on the 2nd time you take the test. According to research on later tests for memory, activations can be measured separately for stimuli encoded successfully (later remembered) or unsuccessfully (later forgotten.) (Brewer, Zhao, Desmond, Glover, and Gabrieli, 1998 p. 1185). In contrast with this research I think rather you remember something good or forget it has to do with how meaningful the memory or event is to you. An example would be you are more likely to remember the date you mother dies rather than the date your pet dies. Overall encoding comes down to the way an experience affects you. The next thing I would like to discuss with you is about long and short term memory. …show more content…
Most people generally think that there is not a difference between the two, but really the difference is significant. Short-term memory is defined as a limited-capacity store that can maintain unrehearsed information for s short amount of time hence the name short-term. Short term memory is also referred to as working memory. Short term memory is like a notepad that can keep between 6-9 thoughts at a time for about 20 seconds. Examples of short-term memory could be things like remembering a number or date until you write it down. That pretty much covers the gist of short-term memory now I am going to talk about long term memory. Long-term memory is defined as an unlimited capacity store that can hold information over a lengthy period of time. …show more content…
Information there can be stored there for an indefinite amount of time. Long-term memories range from things that happened a few minutes ago always to events that happened in your childhood. Long-term memories is supported by flashbulb memories. Flash-bulb memories are defined as unusually vivid and detailed recollections of momentous events. An example of a flash-bulb memory would be how most people who were alive can remember exactly where they were, and what they were doing on 9/11/01 when the planes hit the Twin Towers. Examples such as this justifies that memories in long-term storage can be their indefinitely. Out of the two types of memory a particular focus is set on working memory, since it is assumed that “the central work of multimedia learning takes place in working memory.” (Schweppe & Rummer, 2013) I think researchers focus on working memory, because all memories are in short-term before they transfer to long-term. When memories are in long-term memory curtain images or words can bring them out. There is research that suggest seeing something (visual images) is more prone to bring a memory out of long-term storage. (Ishai & Sagi, 1997) So if you remember your grandmother’s house from your childhood a similar house you see going down the road could pull all the memories about your grandmother’s house out of long-term storage. Forgetting is a part of everybody’s life. No matter how hard you try you are
The first aspect I want to discuss is memory encoding which is basically how experiences transform into memories. Encoding takes something memorable from what you did or what you saw and turns that into a memory code. For example, if you listen to a song your brain is more likely to remember the hook or chorus more than the entire song. Another example, could be when you watch a football game you will probably remember the score more than you would remember every play that happened. Encoding itself can be successful or unsuccessful depending on what stimuli is activated. There have been many different tests trying to figure out which stimuli are effective and which are ineffective. Results are typically different each time you take a test especially on the 2nd time you take the test. According to research on later tests for memory, activations can be measured separately for stimuli encoded successfully (later remembered) or unsuccessfully (later forgotten.) (Brewer, Zhao, Desmond, Glover, and Gabrieli, 1998 p. 1185). In contrast with this research I think rather you remember something good or forget it has to do with how meaningful the memory or event is to you. An example would be you are more likely to remember the date you mother dies rather than the date your pet dies. Overall encoding comes down to the way an experience affects you. The next thing I would like to discuss with you is about long and short term memory. …show more content…
Most people generally think that there is not a difference between the two, but really the difference is significant. Short-term memory is defined as a limited-capacity store that can maintain unrehearsed information for s short amount of time hence the name short-term. Short term memory is also referred to as working memory. Short term memory is like a notepad that can keep between 6-9 thoughts at a time for about 20 seconds. Examples of short-term memory could be things like remembering a number or date until you write it down. That pretty much covers the gist of short-term memory now I am going to talk about long term memory. Long-term memory is defined as an unlimited capacity store that can hold information over a lengthy period of time. …show more content…
Information there can be stored there for an indefinite amount of time. Long-term memories range from things that happened a few minutes ago always to events that happened in your childhood. Long-term memories is supported by flashbulb memories. Flash-bulb memories are defined as unusually vivid and detailed recollections of momentous events. An example of a flash-bulb memory would be how most people who were alive can remember exactly where they were, and what they were doing on 9/11/01 when the planes hit the Twin Towers. Examples such as this justifies that memories in long-term storage can be their indefinitely. Out of the two types of memory a particular focus is set on working memory, since it is assumed that “the central work of multimedia learning takes place in working memory.” (Schweppe & Rummer, 2013) I think researchers focus on working memory, because all memories are in short-term before they transfer to long-term. When memories are in long-term memory curtain images or words can bring them out. There is research that suggest seeing something (visual images) is more prone to bring a memory out of long-term storage. (Ishai & Sagi, 1997) So if you remember your grandmother’s house from your childhood a similar house you see going down the road could pull all the memories about your grandmother’s house out of long-term storage. Forgetting is a part of everybody’s life. No matter how hard you try you are