Our textbook defines memory as, “the process involved in retaining, retrieving, and using information about stimuli, images, events, ideas, and skills after the original information is no longer present.” Memory is a very fascinating because we can remember something from when we were five, but cannot remember what we did a week ago. Short-term memory is designed for us to store smaller amounts of information and only held for short amounts of time. According to the our class textbook, “STM is the window into how the present is represented in our minds. We can examine STM to look at how long information is held, the capacity, the way the information is coded, and the way the information is lost.”
I have a great long-term memory, and can remember very specific details about a lot of things throughout my life, but my short-term memory is not nearly as clear. I’m almost convinced it is part of my family because everyone from my younger brothers, to my grandma, to my extended family has trouble with STM. A very common question in my household, and probably many others, is “where’s the remote?” I eventually got sick and tired of not only this question, but many others like it so I made designated spots for certain items in the household.
Another interesting fact that I learned while reading through lesson five is the digital span task. This refers to a given set of numbers that can either stay as one set or be broken down into chunks. Phone numbers are a great example of this. Instead of having 12 numbers all at once, we break it down into (111) – 234-1234. This makes it a lot easier to remember and with rehearsal of the number it will eventually become part of our LTM. This is also relevant to me because at work we all have an employee ID number that is divided in half by a “-“.
When working on retaining information that is usually just part of out STM interference also plays a huge role. According to VeryWellmind, “you might have a harder time remembering someone’s name if you’re in a crowded, noisy room, or if you were thinking of what to say to the person rather than paying attention to their name.” I can very much to relate to this because when I am learning new information, especially for class/exams, I have to be in a quite area to study if I want to remember anything. The retention of information and memories requires STM to be transferred into LTM.
Overall, I find it extremely interesting how out minds work, not just relating to memory, but for every aspect of how we function and interpret things. This is the main reason why I am pursuing a Psychology Degree and hopefully a few more degree’s after this one!
Citations:
Cherry, K. (2011, January 13). Short-Term Memory Duration and Capacity. Verywell Mind; Verywellmind. https://www.verywellmind.com/what-is-short-term-memory-2795348
Goldstein, B. E. (2019). Cognitive psychology : connecting mind, research and everyday experience. Langara College.