Memory, Thinking, and Intelligence

Introduction

The humans are the highest and superior kind of animals. It is because humans can think, act and acquire knowledge than the common animals in the animal kingdom. The human brains are definitely different than the other animals and furthermore, different from the other human beings. Human can use the knowledge or skills they learn through time and it is always meant to pass it to the others. But human memories also diminish and end up of losing them. As the person grows old, the capacity of the brain cannot hold on to the memories that happened many years ago. And other research studies shows that it is a part of memory gaps.

The Memory Path

In the beginning, according to Dubuc (2002) the stimuli can either accept or reject the presence of an object through the use of organs and senses. When the stimuli accepted the object, it enters on sensory memory that needs attention that will not last for long, but enough to examine a certain object and catch the details. Then the information about the object passed on the short-term memory. The short-term memory can hold on the current information but only with limited amounts, which is also called as the working memory. In this stage, the information is facilitated and assessed until it reached the long-term memory.

Aspects of Short-Term Memory

The short-term memory or the working memory can retrieved the lost information after seconds by repetition. Because of the limited capacity, the duration of information can last from seconds to minutes.

Based on the study of Dubuc (2002), there are three aspects of short-term memory are iconic, that has the ability to grip visual images; acoustic, that can facilitate the sounds; and the working memory, that can activate the information and directly stored the information on either short or long-term memory of the brain.

Aspect of Long-term Memory

Unlike the short-term memory, the long-term memory can hold the information until it is called as the memories. The information that is lost can be retrieved back with the help of the working memory.

The aspect of the long-term memory as Dubuc (2002) says, starts with the explicit memory that can be trained by memorizing the information. The implicit memory has the ability to recall the information without too much effort that usually came from the explicit memory. The episodic memory is based on the past experiences of the person and can recall the relevant events. The semantic memory is in charge in storing and generalizing the facts that collected through reading, concept, or problem-solving. And the Procedural memory is meant for the ability to recall the things that needs actualization or performance.

The journey begins with the sensory receptors receiving stimuli. The stimuli register in the appropriate areas of the cortex like in visual, auditory, and the like according to the work of Wolfe (2001).

Interferences and Counteraction

Lewandowsky, et al., (2009) identified the two kinds of interferences, the retroactive interference and proactive interference.Retroactive interference occurs when information works backwards to interfere with earlier information. Meanwhile, the Proactive interference occurs when current information is lost because it is mixed up with previously learned, similar information. Interferences usually happen when the memory cannot process or impaired because of the presence of other representations.

There are ways of improving the memory and reducing the effects of the interferences which are considered as concrete strategies. These include paying attention to the information using rehearsal techniques. The techniques can be both maintenance and elaborative rehearsal. As suggested by Lewandowsky, et al., (2009), the rehearsal could counteract and restore the information and details. Through rehearsals, the things are repeated and can be easily remembered.

With the help of rehearsal, a student may read a text in a book twice, to fully understand the meaning of each paragraph. It is advisable for the students to make the information be cut in pieces or chunks to separate the essential though retain in mind. And to avoid interference, the student must try to recall between the differences of the two terms that is used in the instruction, like for example, the difference of solar eclipse and lunar eclipse.

Other Types of Forgetting

There are other two remaining types of forgetting aside from the two interferences and these are the fading and distortion. Fading is the term when there is no chance to recall information from the memory because of disuse. There was once a clear memory, but it has faded away because the information was never used. And the distortion is a representation of an imperfect image is recalled from long-term memory. The information is still in memory, but it is distorted, so that it is no longer the same as what was originally stored.

Connerton (2008) presented the seven other types of forgetting that can be intentionally or accidentally. The repressive erasure is forgetting the not-so-good events that person experienced. The prescriptive forgetting is like the erasure but with the participation of the other person. The doubts can also lead to forget and form a new identity which is the third type of forgetting.

The fourth type is structural amnesia that happens to a person when he or she intended to forget something and retain other essential memories. The next are the forgetting like an annulment, forgetting as it planned obsolescence and giving attention on some limits. And the last is forgetting as in silence that can appear in political aspects.

Consolidation

Consolidation seems to be the result of biological changes underlying the retention of learned information. Consolidation is a process when the short-term memory bound to stay or being permanent and directs to the long-term memory. It can be improve with sleep, practice, and testing the knowledge learned. It can also help if the person is not ceasing to gain new knowledge and teaching (Fernandez & Goldberg, 2009).

Consolidation and retrieval can be possible when it is used with mnemonic strategies that can strengthen the long-term retention. The strategies may be in key word, acronyms or abbreviation, acrostics, and rhyming.

References:

Connerton, P., (2008). Seven Types of Forgetting. Memory Studies. Accessed 24 September 2009, from http://mss.sagepub.com/cgi/reprint/1/1/59.pdf.

Dubuc, B., (2001). The Brain from Top to Bottom. Canadian Institutes of Neuroscience, Mental Health, and Addiction. Accessed 24 September 2009, from http://thebrain.mcgill.ca/flash/i/i_07/i_07_p/i_07_p_tra/i_07_p_tra.html.

Fernandez, A., & Goldberg, E., (2009). The Sharp Brains Guide to Brain Fitness. Accessed 16 September 2009, from http://www.sharpbrains.com/blog/2008/07/09/improve-memory-with-sleep-practice-and-testing/.

Lewandowsky, S., et al., (2009). No Temporal Decay in Verbal Short-Term Memory. Trends in Cognitive Sciences. Accessed 24 September 2009, from http://www.psy.uwa.edu.au/Users%20web%20pages/cogscience/documents/LewandowkyetalTICSinpress.pdf.

Wolfe, P., (2001). Long-Term Memory: The Brain’s Storage System. Brain Matters. Accessed 16 September 2009, from http://www.ascd.org/publications/books/101004/chapters/LongTerm_Memory@_The_Brain%27s_Storage_System.aspx.

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