Memory and Its Fundamental Processes

Memory and Its Fundamental Processes

1. Describe memory and summarize its three fundamental processes

Memory can be described as the ability of not only encoding, storing, and retaining information but also the ability to recall past experiences and specific pieces of information that influence or affect an individual’s current behavior. It is, therefore, the total sum of what an individual remembers, which subsequently gives the capability to adapt and learn from past experiences while building on relationships (Friedman 141). This implies that memory provides people with the ability to recall previous experiences besides giving processor power to recall to mind past learned habits, skills, impressions, experiences, and facts, among others. Besides, the ability to create new memories, storing them for some time, and remembering them when the need arises enables people to interact with and learn about the world around them (Páez et al. .221).

Memory in simpler terms, therefore, refers to the practices involved in the acquisition, storage, retention, and later retrieval of information. Encoding, storage, and retrieval are thus the three main processes involved in memory.

Encoding is described as the process of receiving, combining, and processing information. It, therefore, enables the information from the outside world and the surrounding environment to reach our senses. The information reaches the brain in the form of physical and chemical stimuli. This being the first stage of memory, it demands that the information must be changed such that the memory is subjected in the encoding process. The encoding process occurs when the acquired information is translated or transformed into a form that can be mentally processed (Páez et al. 226). The three main kinds of encoding include semantic encoding, acoustic encoding, and visual encoding. Semantic encoding is when the information is presented through its meaning, while acoustic is when information is represented as a sound and visual encoding involved representing information as a picture.

Storage, on the other hand, involves creating a permanent or long-lasting record of the data or information which has been encoded. As the second memory process, storage requires holding and maintenance of information for a length of time. Storage can be carried out into different storage areas such as long-term memory, short-term memory, and sensory memory depending on different time frames (Friedman 153).

Lastly, the retrieval process, which is also referred to as the recognition or recall process, is the last stage of getting information out of memory. It involves calling back of the stored information as a response to some cue when needed for usage in an activity or process. This, therefore, involves remembering or retrieving the information which had been previously stored and returning it into our consciousness. Some attempts to retrieve certain information may, at times, be effortless with regard to the type of information and the underlying situation (Páez et al. 227). The capacity to access and retrieve information from our memory, therefore, enables an individual to apply the memories to interact with other people, make decisions, perform tasks, and answer questions, among other key activities.

1. What kinds of information are you good at remembering? Why do you think your memory is better for these topics? Have you ever had a flashbulb memory? How accurate do you think your flashbulb memory is? What does the textbook argue about the accuracy of flashbulb memories? Do you agree or disagree, and why?

I am good at remembering different kinds of information ranging from locations, directions, business events, song lyrics, and several other mathematical concepts and formulas, among other things. I believe that my memory performs better at remembering such topics because of the close attention that I normally give to such information. When I pay close attention to a piece of particular information, concept, or mathematical formulae, I easily understand what it entails and subsequently visualizes it in my brain stimuli for easy retrieval when the need arises. I, at times, repeatedly conceive the kind of information that I wish to remember in the future hence triggering my brain schemas to easily remember them when necessary (Friedman 158). This, therefore, implies that my brain is good at remembering only the kind of information and topics that I pay close attention to with a keen interest in remembering them in the future. Otherwise, my weakness lies in remembering slight information such as names, birthdays, and events that I have no interest at and those that are randomly mentioned without deeper conceptualization or visualization

In my entire life, I am not sure whether I have personally had flashbulb memories. However, I believe that they comprise of shocking and surprising events that often lead to vivid memories that make us have a strong emotional reaction to surrounding news of the event (Brown and Kulik 73). Flashbulb memories, in other words, are those memories that entail a detailed recollection of when, where, and what we heard about shocking events. The important issue on flashbulb memory, therefore, isn’t the event itself but the context of the news and the impact on emotions the event has made. Most people will be able to remember where they were, who they were with, and how they felt when a certain event happened.

The accuracy of flashbulb memories is therefore influenced by a wide range of factors such as age, importance, and proximity. People of different ages can experience flashbulb memories, but diverse age groups can influence the strength and quality of a flashbulb memory. Research looking at the impacts of age and maturity on the accuracy of flashbulb memory, in overall, has shown that ageing weakens performance in specific memory tasks but not in others. Moreover, although flashbulb memories were formerly thought to be an accurate recollection of surprising events, research has pointed out that they fall off as time passes by just like the normal memories (Brown and Kulik 79). It is, therefore, our confidence in such memories and our perception of their accuracy that differentiate them from regular memories.

Many researchers have likened flashbulb memory to a “snapshot” of a memorable event. They argue out that these kinds of memories are reliant on different components of personal significance or meaning, consequentiality, and emotion. Many other factors, such as age and proximity, play a big role as well. In addition, it had been demonstrated that people generally tend to remember positive events more than negative ones (Brown and Kulik 81). Therefore, just as in an old-fashioned photo album, some pictures and memories are more vivid and lasting than others. I completely agree with these notions and arguments about flashbulb memories since their accuracy is only dictated by our emotional alignment, time, and proximity of the occurrence of an event.