What is Memory?

Simply put, memory is a system in which the brain processes and retains information. The brain takes in specific data, stores it and then enables the retrieval of the information. The flow chart that describes this process is quite simple: In – Process – Out.

In more professional terms:

Encoding – is what happens when we receive information through our senses. During this procedure the sensory information is processed in a way that can be then stored in memory.

Storing – is the method by which information is retained. The information received through encoding moves from short-term and working memory to long-term memory and is kept there, typically labeled and categorized until it is recalled.

Retrieving – is the process by which information is remembered. In this process information is brought back to the conscious mind when it is needed. We can retrieve information through the following procedures:

Recalling: instantly remembering a piece of information that we look for in the long-term memory. For instance, “who was in charge of the BBQ during the office party last year?” You may instantly recall it was John.

Recollection: bringing together pieces of information to recreate an event. For instance, “who else was at the party?” Now you have to bring different elements of the relevant information together to get a more complete picture about the party and the people who attended it.

Recognition: Refers to identifying specific information by comparing existing details with stored information. Recognizing a face of someone you have not seen in a while is a good example of this type of remembering. Sometimes we need certain clues to be able to recognize such a memory. For instance, the person might talk to you about golf and you realize you met him in a golf tournament three years ago.

The neurological mechanism which allows memory retrieval is very complex, and brain researchers are still studying it to be able to better understand how it works.

How do we forget?

1. Lack of attention at the short-term memory point of entry.

2. Poor encoding - information does not flow properly from short-term and working memory to long-term memory.

3. Poor decoding - cannot access information properly.

Types of Memory

We tend to divide memory into three parts – short-term, long-term and working memory. Some experts consider short-term and working memory to be one and the same thing. I make a distinction between the two. Working memory, as the name implies, is the information we work with directly while performing various tasks. The information is taken from both short-term and long-term memory. Short-term memory contains mainly new information which we take in through our senses. Another term for this aspect of short-term memory is “sensory memory.” Normally, we only keep data in our working memory for a few seconds and up to a minute. Afterwards, the information is stored in long-term memory.

When we learn how to operate new machines, new software programs, or for that matter any new material, we use our working memory function in order to understand what principles and procedures the particular tasks involve. The learning process is based on our previous abilities which we retrieve from the long-term memory and from information which we collect through our short-term memory. These new skills and information are processed in our working memory, which works as the working board where we combine previous information with new information based on direct input from the senses. With repetition and practice, all this information is solidly stored in our long-term memory banks for future retrieval: either for repeat usage of the information or for the purpose of using it to help in learning similar or even more complicated material.

Long-term memory is also the storage house of meaningful experiences which we may want to be able to connect with later in life. Long-term memory is a complex mechanism, but in general it consists of two main types of memory – information and skills, which are specific abilities we develop in order to perform various tasks.
For readers who have a basic understanding of computers, the following may serve to make the difference between the various types of memories easier to understand.

Say we want to key in certain data, notes perhaps, into a computer file. The keyboard acts as the sensory input, equivalent to our short term memory, transferring all the raw information to what is called RAM memory. RAM acts in the same way as our working memory, in the sense that it holds the information we are working with. It also temporarily holds the different programs we are using. Working memory is displayed on the screen; it shows us the programs currently in use as well as the data we have keyed in, and it enables us to perform different functions in real time. Once we store the information on the hard drive, which in this example represents long-term memory, the information can then be retrieved later.

This article is an excerpt from: “The Revolutionary Memory Course” by Bob Gottfried, PhD. Printed with permission.