Remembrance or memory is an important aspect of life. Education and memory are closely related mentalities. Permanent changes in behavior resulting from effort and exposure are called learning. The process of sustaining these changes in behavior in our nervous system is called memory. So let’s know about types of memory.
“memory means showing or acting out in the present the reactions that we novice some time ago.”
– Hilgard and Atkinson
“Memory is the mental process by which a person retains the information he has learned throughout his lifetime.”
Lakeman and Butterfield
Memory is a mental business. Which means the ability to store past experiences in the brain. Cognitive psychologists such as Lakeman and Butterfield (1979) defined memory by writing, “Memory is the retention of information for a specific period.” The period can be as short as a second or as long as an entire lifetime. Psychologists have identified two aspects of memory: the executive aspect and the inhibitory aspect. The executive aspect of memory relates to the ability to recall meaningful experiences and the inhibitory aspect relates to the inability to recall experiences. Hence the inhibitory aspect is oblivion.
Stages of memory
Psychologists say that we can remember such things successfully only if we successfully perform the three processes of memory encoding, storage, and retrieval.
Remember that the processes of encoding, storage, and retrieval seen in the psychology of memory are distinct and temporally emergent. Let us consider these three processes
(1) Coding :
Coding is the first stage in the process of remembering. Coding is the process by which a sensation about a particular object or content is imprinted into memory that can be stored. Sometimes certain information signals are imprinted in our brains without any conscious effort. But if we have any specific information name or event that is to be consciously remembered can be enhanced by association. For example, if someone’s birthday is on October 2, we can remember it by associating it with the name of Mahatma Gandhi or with the name of Lal Bahadur Shastri.
(2) Storage :
The second stage or stage of memory is the storage stage. The process of storage involves the preservation or accumulation of information encoded in a symbolic form. The storage of encoded information requires some form of change in the brain. Such a change is known as ‘Consolidation’. Normally the condensation process is self-propelled.
(3) Retrieval :
This is the last stage of the process of remembering. This process occurs when information stored in memory is brought back to the surface of consciousness. For example, you have met a man named Jagdishbhai in the past and when this same man meets you again you ask him ‘How are you Jagdishbhai?’ It is said that the process of memory recovery has taken place when you call it. The process of re-acquisition is in two forms Punaravahan and Pratyabhijna.
(1) Sensory Memory:
We acquire information or knowledge only through our sense organs. Whatever we hear or see, all that memory is stored in sensory memory. But its time is very short. Visual images remain in sensory memory for only a fraction of a second. Whereas sound images last only about two seconds in sensory memory. Let us take the example of a movie. A film is a series of still images, presented to us in a certain motion, giving us the illusion that the film is in motion. One frame of a film lasts in our visual sensory memory until the next frame arrives. Because of this, scenes appear to us to be moving rather than discrete and static.
In this type of memory, the information received from Udipaka is stored in its original form i.e. without any modification. It is because of sense memory that even after the Udipaka is removed from the person’s face, its mark remains for some time. That is why it is also called sensory storage or sensory register. It is of two types.
Types of Sensory Memory
- Iconic Memory
- Echoic Memory.
In visual iconic memory, a person can retain a visual memory of a seen object or person for up to one second. For example, that of a vehicle number.
Whereas in phonological memory, a person can keep the impression of a heard sound in his mind for less than a second. Sensory memory is a memory with a minimum duration of memory. Information in sensory memory can usually only be stored for a maximum duration of one second. Based on experimental studies in the field of sensory memory,
There is general agreement among psychologists for the following characteristics of experimental studies in the field of sensory memory.
(1) Information in sensory memory can be stored for up to one second only. Hence this memory is very transient.
(2) Sensory memory has a greater storage capacity than short-term memory but less than long-term storage capacity.
(3) Sensory memory is the actual representation of accumulated information. When information is distorted in short-term memory and long term memory, those memories also become unreal.
1. Short-Term Memory (STM):
Short-term memory has a short lifespan and limited scope. Looking up a number in the telephone directory to make a telephone call and remembering for a few moments to dial this number is an example of short-term memory. In short-term memory, sensory impressions are stored for only twenty or thirty seconds. Hence this type of memory is also known as ‘immediate memory’.
We will find that most people can repeat the seven details. Telephone numbers are up to seven digits long so they can be memorized. However since a mobile number is 10 digits, it cannot be easily memorized in one-time encryption. Researchers have shown that displacement occurs when the memory area reaches the peak level of 7 digits. Each new item in displacement pushes the previous item. This causes the previous item or items to be forgotten.
To overcome this limitation of information units George A. A researcher named Miller (1956) has shown a technique of grouping. Different groups of information are created in it.
Thus, it is easier to remember fifteen letters by arranging them in different groups. Therefore, it can be assumed that the use of the grouping technique of creating unit groups is very beneficial to increasing the area of short-term memory. Only accumulated information can be stored in short-term memory. Which is maintained for some time ie a minimum of one second and a maximum of 20 to 30 seconds.
2. Long Term Memory (LTM):
Long-term memory is a relatively permanent or completely perpetual memory store. Because some data from short-term memory enters long-term memory. If one thing is repeated over and over afresh, its impression becomes stronger and lasts for a long time. If there were no such arrangement in nature, the various behaviors and practices that we naturally perform would not be possible.
Long-term memory is permanent memory. Its storage capacity is very large. Long-term memory lasts forever. Some last a lifetime. But it is not necessary to assume that such a memory will never be forget under any circumstances. After many years, some incident or phenomenon feels like it happened yesterday. Its secret is long-term memory.
Whatever knowledge we have gained during life, whatever skills we have developed, positions and positions we have acquired, and honors we have gained, are stored in very long-term memory. What is stored in long-term memory (LTM) is often in the form of semantics. Of course, visual images, sounds, and smells can also be stored in long-term memory.
Types of Long-Term Memory:
Tulwing (Tulwing, 1972) divides long-term memory (LTM) into three categories:
(1) episodic memory
(2) semantic memory
3) Behavioral memory
(1) Episodic Memory :
Autobiographical facts are incorporated with antecedent context is called episodic memory. Episodic memory is a subsection of episodic memory. Events that we have vividly experienced are stored in this type of memory.
This Types of memory is a complete diary, which records various memories, incidents, events, and happy and sad experiences of our lives. It records the people we have met in life, the places we have seen, or the personal experiences we have had. In the past, we may have visited Mount Abu or Kulumnali. If you have gone to Mumbai, Delhi, or Kolkata for a relative’s wedding, it is remembered only because of long-term memory. Whether a loved one of ours died at a young age, or if we survived an accident directly, it remains in our memory for the rest of our lives. Incidental memory is the reason why we still remember which teacher used to play more or which teacher gave us more lessons in primary school.
(2) Semantic Memory :
Semantic memory is the memory that stores organized knowledge about everyday objects, facts, materials, and languages. It is also called general knowledge organized memory. That is why it is also called normal memory. Semantic memory provides an easy understanding of addition, subtraction, multiplication, division, or formulas. Similarly, based on the religious symbols, one can know which symbol indicates which religion. Also, based on the symbols and colors in the national flags of different countries, we describe and interpret them. Similarly, we can understand the meaning of sub-classes of animal, bird, or animal by different types of suffixes.
(3) Habitual Memory:
Habitual memory refers to a kind of skill power in which if we have learned anything in the past, we remember it throughout our lives. Like the bicycle learned in school keeps us riding forever. Similarly, cars, scooters or computers once we learn it we do not forget for life. Once you learn how to cook, the memory is permanent. Similarly, when people of different religions go to their respective religious places for darshan, they are seen praying according to the tradition of their religion. Which is different in every religion. Thus, behavioral memory is skilled memory.
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