Functions Of Memory Essay, Research Paper
THE FUNCTIONS OF MEMORY
Memory is the ability to remember past events, images, ideas, or previously learned information or skills. Memory is also the storage system that allows a person to retain and retrieve previously learned information.
There are three key processes to memory: encoding, storage, and retrieval. Each of the three stages in memory-sensory memory, short-term memory, and long-term memory focuses on encoding, storage, and retrieval.
Sensory memory performs initial encoding and provides brief storage. Semsory memory can change a visual, auditory, or chemical stimulus into a form the brain can interpret, like a photograph. Sensory memory is temporary. Once information is received, it is transferred for additional encoding and storage. Unless you quickly
transfer it to short-term memory by writing it down or repeating it, you will forget it.
Short-term memory is the storage system that temporarily holds current or recent information for immediate or short-term use. Short-term memory must further encode, store or maintain information for thirty seconds. A person may want to rememjber certain details of information. Repeatedly verbalizing and thinking about it, will keep
that information in memory. Information contained in short-term memory is available for less than twenty and no more than thirty seconds. It must be transferred to long-term memory, or it will be lost.
Long term-memory is the storage system tha keeps a permanent record of information. Information such as names, dates, places, events, and smells can be found in long-term memory. Information that is important is immediatly stored inot long-term
memory. Birthday’s, your telephone number is maintained in long-term memory. We have the ability to remember real-world events, even though they happened many years ago. The capacity for long-term memory is infinite. The more information a person acquires, the easier it is to acquire information. Long-term memory may preserve information for a lifetime with its focus on retrieval.