Aspects of Memory and Basic Processes of Attention
INTRODUCTION
The human mind is so powerful that the brain possesses 100 billion neurons (Fiorito, Agnisola, d’Addio, Valanzano, & Calamandrei, 1998). Memory is the record of past experiences acquired through learning. Attention is the behavior and cognition process of selectively concentrating on a discrete aspect of information (Chun and Turke-Browne 2017). This being said the question many would ask is if attention has anything to do with one’s memory. Within my research I would be looking to see if there’s any connections.
Throughout this research I would like to cover the study of attention and how this can affect the memory. I will like to see if this can affect the memory in a good or bad way where it can improve or worsen the memory. The text about the Interactions between Attention and Memory (Chun and Turk-Browne) and The Relationship between Attention and Working Memory (Fougnie 2008), goes in dept about the important role that attention plays in memory. They researched that attention and memory needs to operate with each other. The text also goes in dept with researches that proved they work together as well as the different types of attention and the role it plays in memory. An Instance Theory of Attention and Memory (2002) and Attention and working Memory: Two Basic Mechanisms for Constructing Temporal Experiences (2014), these articles talk about the categorization and where the attention takes place. They talk more in dept of the background of memory and attention, how it works in the brain and neurophysiological data of memory. Predicting Individual Differences in Attention, Memory, and Planning in First Graders from Experiences at Home, Child Care, and School (2005), Comparisons of the Basic-Memory and Learning Tests and the WISC-IV Under Developmental Aspects (2008), and Effects of Hypertension on Attention, Memory, and Executive Function in Older Adults (2003), these articles research more in the children and older adults of their developmental process in memory. This part of the research is also very important because of the age differences and there could be different results.
These are very important topics to hear and learn about because personally being a mom of two daughters, full time student, and veteran, I know how important it is to have good memory. I am not saying photographic memory, but memory for the important details. Now a day’s people rely so much on technology we tend to not even bother to remember things, because we can make notes on the phone or even have a reminder alert. Attention plays big role in memory because of certain things we pay attention to tends to be the reason for that memory.
BODY
There’s so much a brain can intake at once, so that is where the attention comes in because it selectively processes information for the brain to remember. Attention and memory need to operate with each other (Chun and Turke-Browne 2007). Increasing the criterion level, which is the number of times an item must be correctly retrieved during practice, enhances the associative memory, cue memory, and associative memory (Vaugen and Rawson 2011). This being said when attention comes in test to memorize something it improves the memory. Innovations in brain imaging research has helped find which brain states are probable for better memory encoding and retrieval (Chun and Turk-Browne 2007).