More On Our Memory System

Our Senses

Our five senses capture the information from the world around us, the physical stimuli in our environments. If we pay attention to the information collected by our senses, that information is held in our working or short-term memory. 

Working Memory

Our working memory temporarily holds on to the information that we are attending to, it is like our brain’s scratch pad. Working memory is where we note information from the world around us. Some of the information we keep, some we discard. Our working memory can hold information for about 20 seconds, and the information gets lost or forgotten if it is not practiced or rehearsed. For example, your friend tells you her new phone number. Usually, if you don’t write the phone number down, or repeat it over and over in your head, it is forgotten within about 10-20 seconds. 

In addition, your working memory has a limited capacity. It can usually hold between five and ten chunks of information at a time. A chunk means pieces of information that hang together in a meaningful way. 

For example:

· 7,     3,     9   are three chunks, but 739 (seven hundred thirty-nine) is one chunk.

· H,    O,    M,    E   is four chunks, but the word “home” is one chunk.
You can remember more if you separate it into chunks.

· 1-800-547-7968  -vs-  1-800-KISS-YOU

· FB-IM-B-AC-IAI-BMB-MW  -vs-  FBI-MBA-CIA-IBM-BMW

Working memory is quite vulnerable to disruption. Chances are that at some point we have all lost our train of thought during a conversation, or gone into a room to get something and forgot what it was we were looking for. This usually happens when we are distracted, and our thought or plan is “lost” from our working memory, or our brain’s scratch pad.

We can strengthen our working memory by increasing our ability to pay attention.

Long-Term Memory

If you want to remember something, and you rehearse it, or repeat it over in your head, it gets transferred from your working memory to your long-term memory. Long-term memory stores all the experiences, facts, events, skills, etc that have been transferred from your working memory. You long-term memory includes everything from the date of your best friend’s birthday to mathematical formulas you learned in school, or things like knowing how many inches in a foot, or how many litres in a gallon. Long-term memory stores words and concepts according to their meaning – which is called semantic coding. In other words, long-term memory often ignores details, but focuses instead on the general, underlying meaning of the information. Long-term memory has an unlimited capacity.

When you are trying to remember something, you are actually trying to retrieve the information from your long-term memory. Recalling information is easier if you have clues.

There are different types of long-term memory:

· Memories of how to perform skills get engrained in your long-term memory, and they are referred to as your procedural memory. For example: using a typewriter, tying a shoelace. These kinds of memories are really hardy. It might have been 30 years since you rode a bike, but the memory comes back quickly as soon as you sit on the seat and put your feet on the pedals.

The problem with procedural memories are they are difficult to explain to people using words. For example, it is much easier to show a child how to tie their shoes than to explain it to them using only words.

· Semantic memory is more an encyclopedia. It stores general knowledge of the world, and facts that you have gained over a lifetime. For example, you know that a wrench is a tool and not an animal.  

· Episodic memory refers to our memories of specific events that happened to us. For example, remembering what you had for breakfast, or what whether or not you took your pills. 

Examples of the distinction between procedural, semantic, and episodic memory:

· Procedural: You get into your red Ford and you automatically know how to drive.

· Semantic: You know that you have a red Ford, and that a Ford is a kind of car.

· Episodic: You remember that you parked your car near the entrance to Walmart in the shopping mall parking lot.

Improving Memory Skills: Chunking

by BrainMemory

Improving Memory Skills Effectively

If you believe your ability to memorize is below average you might just be using some memory techniques that are not very helpful. There are techniques available that are easy to use for improving your memory skills. Unless you have some damage to the part of your brain that stores memory or a disease that affects you ability to remember information and the events from your daily life you can improve your memory with some new skills.

 

Mnemonic Techniques –Improving Memory Skills

 

Mnemonics are hints that come in a wide variety and they assist you in recalling information. Use enjoyable or interesting visual images to remember things and try to make them vibrant and three dimensional. Remember you neighbor’s name by thinking of a pretty Lilly flower if her name is Lilly. If you have difficult words to memorize such as scientific words put the words in humorous sentences or silly sentences. Boring information is more difficult to remember and recall. Use Acronyms or rhymes or alliterations such as beautiful Barbara to remember the name of someone you work with. “Chunking” information can also be useful for improving your memory skills and is done by taking a long list of items and creating shorter easier to remember lists.

 

Improving Memory Skills

Brain Exercises for Improving Memory Skills

Try doing some of your daily tasks in a different manner such as combing your hair with your left hand if you usually perform the task with your right hand or keep your eyes closed while you are buttoning your shirt. Learn something new that you have very little knowledge about or learn a new mind challenging game. When you challenge your brain with new tasks or change the way you perform your daily tasks your brain will use pathways it has not been using and this is a good strategy for improving memory skills.


Funnel Approach and Personally Relating


If you are studying for school it helps to memorize information by learning the broader concepts and then later try learning the details of the subject. The details will make more sense to you if you first acquire a good understanding of the subject. Another technique for improving your memory skills is relating the information to you. Try relating the information to your own life or how the information could be helpful to you and your goals and how it might relate to your past experiences. Using “mental hooks” is the procedure in which you connect new information to memories that are already kept in your brain. This will significantly assist you in recalling the new information.


Remembering information you obtain from reading a textbook can be difficult to do and you may find that you have to read the text numerous times to retain the information. Try placing the pertinent information in tables or lists or make brief outlines. Make charts and graphs by using the important information form your book that you desire to retain in your memory. If you were to find information in a humorous cartoon that you need to memorize for a test, chances are you will remember the information significantly easier than if the information was found in a mundane paragraph in your textbook. Using visual techniques such as these can help in improving your memory skills.