The Human Memory Process

By: Eric Hartwell

The vast majority of us take memory for granted. We scarcely realize that memory is involved in nearly every single task we perform each day in the world. The way memory works is related to such parts of the brain as the frontal lobe, the temporal lobe, the cortex, and the hippocampus. These disparate parts of the brain work together, thereby allowing us to formulate and store information in the form of memories. The memories connect us to the external world – the data stored might be about a specific environment, a person, or an object. So how does memory work? If we did not understand the way memory worked, then we would not be able to comprehend why we perform such day to day routines as taking a shower, doing homework, or even communicating. We would thus not be able to comprehend such phenomena as forgetting and photographic 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.

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