MEMORY II

Long-Term Memory
This system stores information on a permanent or relatively permanent basis; the information thus stored may or may not be retrieved easily. The term long-term memoryis somewhat broad meaning phrase because it can refer to facts learned a few minutes ago, personalmemories many decades old, or skills learned with practice. Generally, however, long-term memory describes a system in the brain that can store vast amounts of information on a relatively enduring basis. When you play cricket, remember what you had for dinner last night, recall your first birthday party, and remember how to play a board game, or to sing along to a favorite song; for all this you draw on information and skills stored in long-term memory.
 

Psychologists have different theories about how information enters long-term memory. The traditional view
is that information enters short-term memory and, depending on how it is processed, may then be transferred to long-term memory. However, another view is that short-term memory and long-term memory are arranged in a parallel rather than sequential fashion. That is, information may be registered simultaneously in the two systems.
 

There seems to be no finite capacity to long-term memory. People can learn and retain new facts and skills throughout their lives. Although older adults may show a decline in certain capacities, for example, recalling recent events. They can still have new experience evenin old age. For example, vocabulary increases over the entire life span. The brain remains plastic and capable of new learning throughout one’s lifetime, at least under normal conditions. Certain neurological diseases, such as Alzheimer’s disease, can greatly diminish the capacity for new learning.
 

Psychologists once thought of long-term memory as a single system. Today, most researchers distinguish three long-term memory systems: episodic memory, semantic memory, and procedural memory: memory related to incidents, language, and procedures.

The Components of Long-term Memory

Also known as modules of long- term memory:

•  Declarative memory
•  Procedural memory
•  Semantic memory
•  Episodic memory
 

Declarative Memory
The module responsible for factual data, dates, faces, names etc.
 

Procedural Memory
The memory center for skills and habits e.g., playing cricket, driving a car etc. It refers to the skills that humans possess. Tying shoelaces, riding a bicycle, swimming, and hitting a football are examples of procedural memory. Procedural memory is often contrasted with episodic and semantic memory. Episodic and semantic memory are both classified as types ofdeclarative memory because people can consciously recall facts, events, and experiences and then verbally declare or describe their recollections. In contrast, non-declarative, or procedural, memory is expressed through performance and typically does not require a conscious effort to recall.
 

Semantic Memory
Storehouse for facts and general knowledge about the world e.g., historical facts, or scientific formulae. It refers to our general knowledge of the world and all of the facts we know. Semantic memory allows a person to know that the chemical symbol for water is H2O, or that cats have a tail etc.

Episodic Memory
Memory for information pertaining to life events, episodes, biographical details.It refers to memories of specific episodes in one’s life and is what most people think of as memory. Episodic memories are connected with a specific time and place.
 

Associative Module
A strategy or process whereby material is recalled bythinking about related information e.g., whose son was
the Mughal Emperor “Shah Jehan”?
 

Priming and long-term memory
If an individual is exposed to a piece of information earlier, then later on it is easier for him to recall the same or similar pieces of information.

Explicit and Implicit Memory

Explicit Memory

Recollection of memory that is intentional and conscious e.g., date of your interview, or the day when your course started. Explicit memory refers to the deliberate, conscious recollection of facts and past experiences. If someone asked you to recall everything you did yesterday, this task would require explicit memory processes. There are two basic types of explicit memory tests: recall tests and recognition tests.
 

Implicit Memory
There are many pieces of information or memories that are stored in our system but which we are not aware of at the conscious level. These can and do affect our behaviorand performance later e.g., childhood fear of blood hindering the performance of becoming a doctor.

Implicit memory refers to using stored information without trying to retrieve it. People often retain and use prior experiences without realizing it. For example, supposethat the word ‘ostentatiously’ is not part of your normal working vocabulary, and one day you hear the word used in a conversation. A day later you find yourself using the word in conversation and wonder why. The earlier exposure to the word primed you to retrieve it automatically in the right situation without intending to do so.