MEMORY

INTRODUCTION

Memory is the store house for everything. Memory is a very important cognitive process.

Two functions of remembering and forgetting are involved in it. That is, two sides of the coin because the nature of both is opposite to each other. Both these functions play a very important role in a person’s life.

Memory is very important for effective learning.

Remembering happy events makes life happy. On the contrary, remembering painful events makes life miserable. At such times, forgetting helps to forget painful events. With the help of which one can be happy.

Thus both forgetting and remembering are equally important for leading a normal life. But in the case of learning, the importance of remembering is greater.

Without memory one cannot learn anything well. If a person learns something and cannot remember it well, then the learning goes in vain.

Memory begins with sensory input. which occurs as a result of environmental stimulation. Which includes vision, hearing, touch etc. The stimulation received by the sensor is recorded in the secondary register and this information is stored for 20 to 30 seconds in the secondary register.

A large part of the information is processed and repeated. By means of rehearsal some information is stored in long term memory. There it is divided into different categories and stored for a long time. Information stored in this way is remembered for a long time.

DEFINITION

Humans can store and retain information for a long time and recall it again when needed which is called memory.

Memory is the power to store experience so that it can be recalled when needed after some time after the experience.

Memory is a neurochemical process. In which information can be saved by the brain and can be retrieved again if needed.

• NATURE OF MEMORY

Memory is the special ability of our mind to store past experiences and learning and recall them when needed.

The process of memory begins with learning or experience and culminates in this process with revival and reproduction. The process of memory consists of four stages. First of all learning something or experiencing something, then retaining it, then recognizing it and finally recalling it.

Memory is a complex process that includes factors such as learning, retention, recognition and recall.

Memory is a store house for everything that has three stages: encoding, storage and retrieval.

PROCESS OF MEMORY

Although there are many different models of how memory works, they all involve the same three processes:
Getting information into the memory system (encoding), storing it there (storage), retrieving it when needed (retrieval).

-Memory process is divided into three parts.

• Encoding (putting it in)
• Storage (keeping in it)
• Retrieval (recover it in)

Encoding :
(Encoding):

This is the first step in the memory process.

Encoding means converting information into a form that can be stored in memory.

Storing sensory information in a form that the brain can use is called encoding.

Storage:

(storage)

Storage means storage.

The information obtained by encoding is preserved for a period of time which is called storage.

This information is stored in a person’s brain which is called neural trace or memory trace. Hence information can be retrieved from it when needed.

This duration varies based on memory usage. Like for short term or for long term

Retrieval:
(Retrieval)

Retrieval means recovery.

Retrieval means using or considering stored information again.

Stored information can be brought into the conscious mind when needed.

The experience of attending any class can be compared with the above. Where listening to lectures and making notes is encode or learning.

Remembering the information received during the lecture means storage. And recalling that lecture and retrieving information when needed is retrieval.

TYPOES OF MEMORY

Memory is divided into three types based on the duration of storage of information:

sensory memory

• short term memory
• Long term memory

1. Sensory memory:
   (Sensory Memory):

Sensory memory is also known as immediate memory.

Information in the sensory register is stored for very short periods of time, from fractions of a second to several seconds.

In this type of memory, information is received through sensory organs like eyes, ears and that information is stored only for a few seconds.

For example, if a picture comes in front of our eyes while watching TV, it is remembered for a few seconds.

This sensory memory is converted into short term memory or long term memory or is forgotten.

There are three types of sensory memory:

• Iconic memory
• Echoic memory
• Haptic memory

Iconic memory: (Iconic memory)

Iconic memory is a form of sensory memory that holds or stores visual information for a quarter of a second or longer.

Echoic memory: (Echoic memory)

Echoic memory is a form of sensory memory in which auditory information is held for two to three seconds.

Haptic memory: (Haptic memory)

In haptic memory, textile sensory memory caused by touch sense is stored for two seconds which includes pain, pressure, itching sensation.

2. Short term memory:
   (Short Term Memory):

Short term memory is also known as ‘working memory’.

Various experiments have found that memory stays in our conscious and preconscious mind for a short period of time, which is called short-term memory.

The storage capacity of short term memory is very limited. Short-term memory stores information for short periods of 15 to 30 seconds and can remember six to seven items at once.

This information is made up of sound, image, word and sentence.

This old information is forgotten when new information is received.

This short term memory can be transferred to long term memory through maintenance or rehearsal.

For example, by revising the notes given in the lecture, these notes can be stored in long term memory.

3. Long term memory:
   (Long Term Memory):

This type of memory has unlimited data storage capacity.

This memory has an unlimited capacity to store information for days, months, years and even a lifetime.

Long term memory is a complex process. A person stores information through various experiences and files the information into categories. And reproduces when needed.

Due to long term memory we always remember our name, our father’s name, date of birth and personal data life time.

There are two types of long term memory:

Explicit / Declarative memory (with conscious recall)

Implicit / non-declarative memory (without conscious recall)

Explicit memory:

(Explicit Memory):

Explicit memory is also known as declarative memory.

Explicit memory stores facts, events, concepts, and general knowledge for the long term.

Explicit memory requires conscious effort to recall. For example, using the Q formula in a math example requires us to remember it consciously.

There are two types of explicit memory.
i) Episodic memory :
ii) Semantic memory:

i) Episodic memory :
(Episodic Memory):

• Our personal experiences in episodic memory

and store information about personal events for the long term

Is performed. For example the first of our college

How the day went is stored in episodic memory.

ii) Semantic memory:

(Semantic Memory)

• Semantic memory stores information about facts, concepts and general knowledge. Remembering our names and those of our relatives and remembering their birthdays is an example of semantic memory.

Implicit memory :

(Implicit Memory):

• Implicit memory is also known as non-declarative memory.
• Implicit memory does not require conscious effort to recall. This memory does not require any kind of effort.
• For example, when riding a bike, when to shift gears and when to brake, which does not require any effort to remember. We remember this thing.
• There are two types of implicit memory: i) Procedural memory ii) Emotional memory

i) Procedural memory :

(Procedural Memory):

• Procedural memory includes motor skills and actions. It stores memory for how to do things. We cannot explain this information.
• For example, a small child ties his shoelaces by himself. The nurse gives the injection well. Which cannot be explained.

ii) Emotional memory:

(Emotional Memory):

• Emotional memory is a function of conditioning.
• Emotional memory stores information about the reaction and emotion to a condition or situation or person.
• For example when we see a dog we are afraid of it because in childhood the dog was once a baby.
• Factors affecting memory:

(Factor Affecting Memory)

Edge:

• Adult people have better memory and can remember better than old age. Memory is at its peak at the age of 16 – 26 years.
• Maturity:
• A mature person can remember better than children.
• Confidence:
• Good confidence helps to remember.

Interest:

• Interest in acquiring knowledge helps in improving memory.

Intelligence:

• Intelligence also affects memory. People who have good intelligence will have more powerful memory.

Diet:

• A healthy diet improves memory. Eating a diet rich in vegetables, omega 3 antioxidants improves memory. Vitamins and minerals like vitamin D, vitamin B12, folic acid, zinc etc also affect memory.
• Exercise :
• Exercising oxygenates the brain and helps produce certain neurochemicals that are useful in stimulating memory.
• Rest and Sleep:
• If there is enough rest and sleep, the mind becomes healthy and the new learning is well remembered.
• Drug and Chemical:
• Exposure to hormone therapy, alcohol, nicotine, lead, mercury, chemicals results in a decrease in cognitive process.
• Clinical condition:
• Epilepsy, high blood pressure, brain tumor, Alzheimer’s disease, attention deficit disorder, head injury, autism etc. conditions affect memory.