Human Memory

Three Types  Sensory Memory  Short Term Memory  Long Term Memory  Sensory Memory  Short Term Memory  Long Term Memory

Memory Model

Sensory Memory  The sensory memories act as buffers for stimuli received through the senses. Information is passed from sensory memory into short-term memory by attention, thereby filtering the stimuli to only those which are of interest at a given time.

Short Term Memory  Short-term memory acts as a scratch-pad for temporary recall of the information under process. For instance, in order to understand this sentence you need to hold in your mind the beginning of the sentence you read the rest.

Short Term Memory Capacity  Short term Memory decays rapidly and has very limited capacity. (15-30 seconds)  Chunking information can lead to an increase in short term memory capacity.  Interference can cause disturbance in short term memory retention.  Short term Memory decays rapidly and has very limited capacity. (15-30 seconds)  Chunking information can lead to an increase in short term memory capacity.  Interference can cause disturbance in short term memory retention.

Long Term Memory  Long-term memory is intended for storage of information over a long time. Information from the working memory is transferred to it after a few seconds. Unlike in working memory, there is little decay.

Long Term Memory Types  Episodic memory represents our memory of events and experiences in a serial form.  Semantic memory, on the other end, is a structured record of facts, concepts and skills that we have acquired.  Episodic memory represents our memory of events and experiences in a serial form.  Semantic memory, on the other end, is a structured record of facts, concepts and skills that we have acquired.

Long Term Memory Structure

Long Term Memory Process  There are three main activities related to long term memory: storage, deletion and retrieval.

Storage  Information from short-term memory is stored in long-term memory by rehearsal. The repeated exposure to a stimulus or the rehearsal of a piece of information transfers it into long- term memory.  Experiments also suggest that learning time is most effective if it is distributed over time.  Information from short-term memory is stored in long-term memory by rehearsal. The repeated exposure to a stimulus or the rehearsal of a piece of information transfers it into long- term memory.  Experiments also suggest that learning time is most effective if it is distributed over time.

Deletion  Deletion is mainly caused by decay and interference.  Emotional factors also affect long-term memory.  Deletion is mainly caused by decay and interference.  Emotional factors also affect long-term memory.

Retrieval  There are two types of information retrieval: recall and recognition.  In recall, the information is reproduced from memory.  In recognition the presentation of the information provides the knowledge that the information has been seen before.  There are two types of information retrieval: recall and recognition.  In recall, the information is reproduced from memory.  In recognition the presentation of the information provides the knowledge that the information has been seen before.

8 Ways to Improve Memory 1. Grouping 2. Rhyming 3. Spelling 4. Narrating 5. Mapping 6. Linking 7. Placing 8. Experiencing 1. Grouping 2. Rhyming 3. Spelling 4. Narrating 5. Mapping 6. Linking 7. Placing 8. Experiencing

Grouping  Rearrange large numbers of items into smaller units of logical or artificial groups.

Example 1 Look at this number for 3 seconds and try to memorize it

Example 1  Were you able to memorize it?  What made it difficult to memorize?  Were you able to memorize it?  What made it difficult to memorize?

Example Now look at the same number and try to memorize it. It is easier to memorize this number because they are “grouped.”

Example 2  You can also classify/group according to type.  Shakespeare’s 37 plays can be arranged in logical groups such as:  Comedy  History  Tragedy  You can also classify/group according to type.  Shakespeare’s 37 plays can be arranged in logical groups such as:  Comedy  History  Tragedy

Rhyming  Use the poetic methods of sound in rhyming, rhythm or alliteration

Example 1  In order, what happened to Henry VIII's wives?  Died, Beheaded, Died Died, Beheaded, Survived.  In order, what happened to Henry VIII's wives?  Died, Beheaded, Died Died, Beheaded, Survived.

Example 2  i before e except after c or when sounded as a as in neighbor and weigh.

Spelling  Take the first letters or syllables to form a new word that spells out the information.

Example 1  H.O.M.E.S.  The 5 Great Lakes:  Huron  Ontario  Michigan  Erie  Superior  H.O.M.E.S.  The 5 Great Lakes:  Huron  Ontario  Michigan  Erie  Superior

Example 2  ROY G. BIV:  The 7 colors of the visual spectrum?  red  orange  yellow  green  blue  indigo  violet  ROY G. BIV:  The 7 colors of the visual spectrum?  red  orange  yellow  green  blue  indigo  violet

Narrating  Use the imaginative process to create a sentence, a story, a cartoon or a visual picture.

Example 1  My Very Eager Mother Just Sold Us Nine Pickles  Mercury  Venus  Earth  Mars  Jupiter  Saturn  Uranus  Neptune  Pluto  My Very Eager Mother Just Sold Us Nine Pickles  Mercury  Venus  Earth  Mars  Jupiter  Saturn  Uranus  Neptune  Pluto

Mapping  Structure a diagrammatic representation of the relationship between major ideas, sub categories, and supporting details.

Example 1

Example 2

Linking  Connect a list of unrelated items though exaggerated, ridiculous or absurd associations.

Example 1  1 MERCURY thermometer was in the mouth of VENUS, with-the-2- on-her-toe- goddess-of-love. Her navel was a huge EARTH with a 3 on it. On the other side of her mouth was a 4 star MARS candy bar. The 5 fingers of her hand and wrist spelled out JUPITER. 6 rings of SATURN were turning around her head while above it 7 rain drops of URANUS were falling and gradually became 8 musical notes for a NEPTUNE. Amazingly Venus was standing on PLUTO the dog whose tail was curled into a 9. (The seven planets in order.)

Placing  Place units of information in terms of location or chronology.

Example 1  Maslow's pyramidal hierarchy of human needs:  self-actualization  ego needs: status, pride, knowledge, self respect  Social needs: love, belonging, acceptance, association  security needs: psychological & physical safety basic  (physiological) needs: food, water, air, sex, activity, rest shelter  Maslow's pyramidal hierarchy of human needs:  self-actualization  ego needs: status, pride, knowledge, self respect  Social needs: love, belonging, acceptance, association  security needs: psychological & physical safety basic  (physiological) needs: food, water, air, sex, activity, rest shelter

Example 2  You can also draw out the pyramid.

Experiencing  Act out or go through the motions to get the feel of an idea.

Example 1  You learn a new word in a foreign language you say the word out loud.

Example 2  Actors will put themselves in character to help them learn their parts.