Introduction
Define memory, and describe how it is measured?
Memory refers to the ability of human beings to recall or remember the experiences and information. Memory results after learning have taken place. Memory may be in the form of skills or facts. The neurons can describe memory. Memory can be measured through the recall method where the materials learned after some time is reproduced. The repetition of learning materials is used to assess the retention ability or memory. The recognition method is also used to measure memory because it is very sensitive in the detection of retention capacity. The learned materials are identified through the recognition method. Reconstruction is also another method used to measure the memory or retention ability of an individual in relation to the previously learned materials or tasks.
Explain how psychologists describe the human memory system?
Psychologists describe the human memory system to be composed of three interconnected storage. The sensory memory stores the information from our senses in the form of sound and images. The information is interpreted in the sensory memory then transferred to the working memory for further processing. Information in the working memory is stored on how it sounds. Forgetting occurs when most of the information is transferred from the sensory memory to the working memory. Long-term memory deals with the information that we want to store permanently. The information in the long term memory is stored in terms of its meaning.
Distinguish between explicit and implicit memories?
Explicit memory refers to the intentional, conscious recollection of the previous information and experiences. This memory is used all through the day to recollect various events .The explicit memory is seen for instance when remembering the appointment during a certain time of the day. Explicit memory also involves remembering specific elements.
Implicit memory, on the other hand, refers to the memory where the previous experiences and information are used to help the performance of activities and tasks without the conscious aspects of such experiences. The improvement in the performance of tasks is a good example of how to measure the implicit memory.
Describe the capacity of our short term and working memory?
Short term memory refers to the capacity of the brain to hold the small amount of data or information in the mind such that it can be accessed actively and in a stable state. The short term memory is in the form of seconds.
The working memory, on the other hand, holds several pieces of information in the mind of an individual. The working memory also contains the subsystems that help in manipulating the information. The executive and control functions of the working memory influence the amount of information that can be retained by the human brain. Describe the capacity and location of our long term memories?
The capacity of the long-term memory is often unlimited in order to allow storage of large amounts of information for long durations of time. The duration of the long-term memory may range from minutes to the lifetime of the individual. The long term memory of the brain is often located at the hippocampus part of the brain. The long term memory may at times be found in most parts of the brain making it difficult to specify the location in the brain.
Describe the role of the frontal lobes and the hippocampus in memory storage?
The frontal lobes play the role of motivation and planning functions in the brain. This part of the brain also deals with the aspects of rewards and attention in the brain. This part of the brain also can recognize the future consequences. It also retains the long term memories which are not based on tasks.
The hippocampus part of the brain plays an important role of consolidating information .The information is consolidated from the short term memory to the long term memory. It also deals with the aspects relating to spatial navigation memory.
