The Three Memory Systems Sensory Long Term — страница 4

a dictionary they would automatically begin with the first letter of the word. If the dictionary was not in alphabetic order it would be difficult to find the words we are looking for. Our minds work the same way. Once we learn the information, we should organize it immediately so it is easier to retrieve. To do this one must categorize the information into similar categories. Organization also plays in a role of how we learn one thing faster than other things. For example, depending on how the words are organized, in a list of words, depends on how easy they are to memorize. This is called the serial position effect. Items at the beginning and end of the list are easier to remember. Organization plays the biggest role in remembering information. Next, association refers to

relating what one wants to learn with something they already know. This idea goes back to the meaningful value of the information. We associate information we can relate to. Relating to the information helps retrieve it quicker. The more one knows about a subject the more one can associate new facts. Association can occur on an unconscious level but only to a certain degree. Memory is more visual then verbal. Visual imagery is effective with verbal material as well as pictures. Two possible reasons are suggested: First, images are inherently more memorable than words; second, words that evoke images are coded dually (in both verbal and visual memory) so that there is twice as great a likelihood of remembering them (Higbee, 1996, p. 57). Visualization of verbal material means

picturing an object or idea that relates to the information. You are standing in the middle of a parking lot searching for your car. Thinking; did I park in the green section or the yellow section? Finally, you spot it in the red section. This happens to almost everyone. We just never learned where we parked to begin with. If we do not store the information in the first place, we will not be able to retrieve it. Attention is the key to remembering anything. We have to pay attention to something we wish to remember in the future. As I mentioned earlier, we can only pay attention to one thing at a time. This might be the last section in remembering but it is not the least. Conclusions Today everyone is interested in learning ways to improve their “bad” memory. As I discussed

earlier, there is no such thing. In fact we create these “bad” memories through our learning techniques. Since today’s society has a fast pace, we do not have time to learn the information correctly. I discussed the many aspects of memory that contribute to our learning. The three memory systems play a big role in this. There are positive aspects and pitfalls that take place throughout these memory systems. We need to be aware of these aspects while learning. Then I discussed forgetting which most people view as an unpleasant thing but in the end it helps us disregard the useless information There are many theories that go along with forgetting. Although most theories are widely accepted each one plays a part in our forgetting. I decided to pick two common diseases that go

along with memory: Alzheimer’s and amnesia. Even these examples show that memory cannot be catergoized as a thing. Scientists have not discovered an exact place in the brain in which remembering occurs. Then I briefly went over the five principles of remembering. The most important way to improve one’s memory is to pay attention to what one wants to learn. In the end, no one has a “bad” memory. It is within ourselves to improve our learning techniques. Bibliography References Hilgbee, K. L. (1996) . Your memory: How it works and how to improve it. New York: Marlowe and Company. Weiten, W. (1998) . Psychology: Themes and variations. New York: Brooks/Cole Publishing Company. Baddely, A. (1982) . Your memory: A user’s guide. New York: Macmillan Publishing Co., Inc. Kellet,

M. (1980) . Memory power. New York: Sterling Publish Co., Inc. Kurlan, M., & Lupoff, R. A. (1999). The complete idiot’s guide to: Improving your memory. New York: Macmillan Publishing Co., Inc.