Human Memory: Retention

By: Eric Hartwell

What is memory? In a fundamental way, it is simply that process where by data is retained over a certain amount of time. The researcher Ebbinghaus studied the nature of memory by making lists of nonsensical words which he then attempted to memorize. He then studied how he was able to retain those words over periods of time that ranged from a few hours to a few days. This marked one of psychology’s earliest experiences in to the nature of memory.

We can classify memories in to four different types: sensory, working, short term, and long term.

When we speak of “sensory memory,” we are referring to the few split seconds that follows the initial perception of an object. If you are able to briefly look at something and immediately memorize its details, then that is an instance of sensory memory. Usually, in these cases, when you are only able to see something for a few split seconds, you might feel like you saw a lot more than you are able to describe. Using a special experiment involving a “partial report paradigm,” the researcher George Sperling conducted some vital experiments in the realm of sensory memory. Sperling arranged a dozen letters in to three rows of four. He then played either a low, medium, or high tone, which would be their cue for what row of letters they were supposed to recite. The result of this experiment was that most humans can process at least twelve items with sensory memories, but that this begins to degrade at quite a rapid pace.

Some of the data that is perceived in a sensory memory will subsequently be transferred to a short term memory. We call short term memory the ability to recall something from several seconds to a minute ago. Usually four or five objects can be stored in short term memory, although that number can be increased via a process that psychologists have come to call “chunking.” If a group of letters, for example, is presented in meaningful rows instead of just scrambled, we can usually remember them for a lot longer.

There is also a type of memory that is referred to as working memory. It can be viewed as a form of short term memory, in that it refers to the limited store that is needed in order for certain mental tasks to be performed. Whereas short term memory is rooted in duration, working memory is defined by purpose. Baddeley’s Model of Working Memory defines three components to this type of memory – the verbal store, the visuo-spatial sketchpad, and the central executive, which determines control and rehearsal. The first relates to language, while the second relates to images.

Finally, there is long term memory. Unlike short term and sensory memories, which disappear in a brief amount of time, long term refers to memories that can be stored for a period of up to several years.

While it was once thought that there was no real determining factor between what made a short term memory and a long term one, research has since established that the brain contains numerous systems of memory and that information is constantly being transferred among these various systems.

Article Source: http://www.content.onlypunjab.com

Visit us or share your opinions at the worlds best homepage or free content resource
Eric Hartwell - Our Articles Expert Author