Human Memory Essay

The human memory is that part of our brains that has the capacity to receive, store, and retrieve discipline. It is comprised of not one but three types sensory(a), inadequate term, and long term. Generally, the process involves receiving info or stimulus from the environment. The stimulus is wherefore acquire by the sensory memory. Then the information, which is converted into electrical impulses, is passed by means of the short memory, and finally, the long-term memory through the neurons.SensoryA stimuli that is sensed or received by one of the five sense organs are received by the sensory memory, which acts as a protective barrier. There are different types of sensory memory, one for each sense organ. For the visual stimuli that are registered by the eyes, the sensory memory is called iconic. Stimuli that passes through the ears are received by the echoic memory. And the haptic memory is for stimuli that are felt or touched. A stimulus reaches the sensory memory between t wo hundred and five hundred milliseconds after it was perceived.An example of sensory memory is the ability to remember how or sothing looks like even if you were able-bodied to see it for only a few seconds. Based on research, sensory memory is able to retain about 12 items in a very(prenominal) short period of time. Interruption in the smooth relay of sensory information eject be caused by problems in the neurons . If there are some neurons that do not connect or there are imbalances, then information flow will stop or will be delayed. short-runInformation that reaches the sensory memory are transferred to the short-term memory. This type of memory allows retention of information for up to 60 seconds. While it can remember information far longer than the sensory memory, the short-term memory can only retain up to five items. To increase the number of items that the short-term memory can remember, studies showed that grouping or chunking the items into three have been found ver y useful. Short-term memory will degrade if a soul experiences chronic pain in the neck or drinks constantly. It can be enhanced through aerobic exercises because of the increased oxygen in the brain.Long-TermAfter information has passed through the short-term memory, it is then transferred to the long-term memory for storage and for retrieval in the future. Contrary to the two previous memories, the long-term memory can hold information indefinitely, sometimes for a lifetime. Information becomes ingrained in the memory through repetition or rehearsal. For instance, the alphabets has been constantly repeated to young children in order for them to remember each letter. As a result, knowledge of them will remain etched in memory forever. Long-term memory degrades through certain illnesses. It can be improved through constant intellectual stimulation and rehearsal.Long-term memory groups information into facts and skills. Facts is further classified into two the episodic and semantic . As their names suggests, episodic refers to events that are stored in the memory. All the others are stored in the semantic memory. Skills, on the other hand, is about learned information that needs to be recalled to perform certain actions.The processes involved in the long-term memory are retention, retrieval and deletion. Retention is achieved when there is rehearsal. Deletion happens when there is prophylactic device. Retrieval can occur through recall and sometimes, through recognition. When the information is remembered from memory, it is called recall. If there are promptings and cues to remember an information, it is called recognition.InterferenceInterference is defined as the inability to recall an information because certain items or events interfere with the process. Proactive interference occurs when previous learnings will make it difficult to remember new ones. On the other hand, retroactive interference occurs when new learnings make it difficult or unattainable to recall past information.While studying, information gets jumbled in the students mind because there are too many to recall. To improve submersion and recall, it is important to rehearse the information over a period of time. This could be done by reading the days lessons and memorizing the salient points in front way out to sleep. If the student will make this a habit, he wont need to cram everything in his head a few days before the exam. By constantly rehearsing, the retention and retrieval will become easy.Other Factors That Could Affect MemoryAge is one factor that could make a person forget an information or make it difficult to retrieve it from its storage. Like any other part of the body, the brain also degrades if it is not constantly in use. Injuries, traumas, medicines, and diseases could also affect memory storage and retrieval. For example, a tumor in the brain can interrupt the flow of electrical impulses, resulting to memory loss. Or a trauma caused by accident c ould result to sensory memory loss in one part of the body.To improve and maintain a good memory, it is unceasingly important to forestall on exercising the mind as well as the body. When the mind is seldom used, it degenerates. Reading, learning and engaging in intellectual discourses would keep the mind active.ReferencesGailbuck. (2007). Delving Into the Autistic Brain Part 1. HubPages. Retrieved August 14, 2008, from http//hubpages.com/hub/autism-sensory-processingHuman Memory. Retrieved August 14, 2008, fromhttp//www-static.cc.gatech.edu/classes/cs6751_97_winter/Topics/human- cap/memory.htmlMohs, R. How to Improve Your Memory. HowStuffWorks. Retrieved August 15, 2008, from