Memory Demystified

Memory has four working parts to complete its system: the hippocampus, the temporal lobe, the cortex and the frontal lobe. With these four areas of our brain, we are able to process and store a vast number of memories. With these memories we can function and adapt in our outside environment, because we can recall specific bits of information about people, places and things that are in that external world. For an amazing program to improve your memory try http://www.learnerscorner.com/recommends/infinitememory

Memory is not an exact science, nor can it ever hope to be, because it is so complex. You can see that this is not an exact science, when you compare the theories of the cognitive psychologists working within the field of human memory. You can see that they are often at odds with each other. One thing, however, that these widely-diverse scientists can come together on is that there are three areas of memory that we can label and define: long-term, short-term and sensory memory. There is a fourth area of memory that is related to all the other three that we call working memory.

What is sensory memory? It is when you can look at an item for just a brief moment in time, and gather in all of its details. This flash of memory is what is known as sensory memory. Oftentimes, it seems like you can describe a bit more detail about the item, even though you were only exposed to it for such a short period of time.

What happens with sensory memory, then, is that parts of it are sent on to the short term memory. Short term memory is where you can recall a memory of something that has happened within the framework of your attention from anywhere within a few seconds to a minute ago.

Now, what is working memory? Think of it as being like short term memory, because it is part of that limited storage capacity given to short term memory. This part of short term memory is used when you need to be working on certain mental activities. Short term memory is labeled based upon how long the memory exists in you, whether a few seconds to a minute or so. Working memory, as part of the short term storage, is recalled just long enough for you to perform a task or a function, then it is removed from this temporary and limited storage area. Working memory has three parts to it: the visio-spatial sketchpad, the verbal store, and the central executive, used to determine control and rehearsal of each memory.

This brings us to long term memory. Long-term memory can last for many years, although scientists, once again, disagree as to the length of time. Some say long-term memory lasts forever, while other scientists, stating that this cannot be proven, say that long-term memory will only last a few years. But we do know that, unlike the other types of memory, long-term will last longer than the few short minutes allocated to them. For help with long term memory try http://www.learnerscorner.com/recommends/elementsofmemory

For the moment, then, research on how memory works continues. As long as there are arguments and disagreements among psychologists about this complex subject, there will continue to be work done on this mysterious subject. One thing that is for sure, memory is a complex system, with several components working to move memory in and out of the different types of memory, and as long as we continue to work toward greater understanding, we will one day come to an understanding of how memory works. Check out part 2 coming soon for more information!