Properties of Human Memory - Storage, Retrieval, And Oblivion - Research Paper Example

Memory Storage: Association of its Retrieval and Forgetting Abstract It has been verified by all the researchers that time passes by the understanding of the memory system with reference to its storage, retrieval, and forgetting changes. The aspect of not being able to understand the affiliation of forgetting with memory storage and its retrieval is the common issue when it comes to discussing the memory system. As research plays a vital part in learning and developing, thus the new trends and modifications in its scheme of representation cannot be disregarded and thus need to be provided for awareness of people in accordance to the subject matter. Therefore, studied below are the important trends in the understanding of memory storage, its retrieval and forgetting along with their implications for the system of evaluation. Also when it comes to the control and establishment of any aspect of learning in a society, we cannot help ourselves but refer to the data available through the literature. Hence, discussed below are the important factors that are related to the three aspects of the memory system. 1. INTRODUCTION Memory has continuously been considered as a cabinet that stores information and data received. The major difference between the considerations of the past and that of the current epoch is that previously the importance given to the functioning of memory was less than it is now. Sometimes memory is referred to as a processor underneath the human scalp; sometimes it is called a cabinet but in accordance to the beliefs of experts, memory is a complex process of the brain which is wide and far extended. It has been specified that even after modernization of science and technology, scholars are unable to completely determine the working of the memory system. According to Baddeley (2002) it is the psychological verification which is always confused with the biological procedures. At many places researchers are not even sure about the certainty of the processes of memory formulation, which basically have been referred to as storage, retrieval and forgetting. It has also been verified by researchers that studying memory functioning system and its organization in the brain is a never ending assessment. 1.1 Notion and Objective For the process of memory storage, retrieval and forgetting what needs to be clarified first is the characterization of these terms and formulations. It has been specified that encoding (interpreting and perceiving) is the first step of memory processing which leads to its storage, then retrieval and finally in some cases forgetting. The proper retaining of information over a time period and its representation in the brain is called memory storage. The second process that is ‘memory retrieval’ has at many places been specified as the process of locating the required information and then recovering it for utilization. As for the verification of the term ‘forgetting’ in the memory system, it can be stated that the imperfection of the storage or retrieval system of the memory due to which the accuracy of any information cannot be gained is called forgetting. Hence, for presentation of the relationship of these terms and their assessment this paper will provide a detailed research and analysis. The paper not only publicizes this subject, but it focuses on one segment of the verification: the relationship memory storage, retrieval and forgetting, and the implication of the memory system for forgetting. Furthermore, it raises a subject upon the explication with orientation to the issue with advising basis of the review of literature, because while most scholars may have ignored the subject of forgetting, its importance still remains absolute. 2. REVIEW OF LITERATURE The memory system does not stand alone by the process of encoding; in fact it is a procedure which is based on the processes of storage and retrieval. The reason that the aspect of forgetting is always associated with the memory system is that it plays an important role in the entire procedure. This process determines the processes of data storage when required, and their retrieval which if not possible is considered as forgetting. In order to understand the imperfection of the memory system which is represented through forgetting, it is necessary to evaluate the stages of storage and retrieval in detail. Thus, given below is a detailed review of literature with reference to the theories in practice and research for this subject matter. In accordance to a study conducted by Oberauer, Süß, Wilhelm and Wittman (2002) it was specified that the basic goal of the research was to assess the working of the memory and its role alone in the process of forgetting. It was evaluated in the study that the aspects of contents of the information that was gathered were compared to the functional levels of the memory of individuals. The people under study were students who were assigned with tasks of no sub levels in the first place and ones with sub levels in the second stage in order to test the memory functioning in both the stages. It was distinguished that the memory storage of the first level required no further coordination or supervision and was subtly stored and retrieved but for that of the information from the second stage the students required spontaneous guidance, supervision, processing, and coordination for information that was stored and there were issues while it was retrieved for utilization. In other research that was conducted by Cowan (1988), the process of memory storage and its retrieval was formulated and an assessment was made on the basis of the factors that determine the memory storage process such as selective attention, automatic procession, and attempted procession, and the constraints that are mutually places by them on each other. It can be formulated that the models that were used in this study by Cowan were based on the assessment of the process of memory storage which belonged to the sensory level of pile up. It was formulated through this research that there were two stages of memory storage which are linked to the aspect of forgetting; the first being automatic storage which is unintentional and leads to a 50% chance of future retrieval, and the second was effortful storage which was intentional and had a 77 % chance of failure of its retrieval in the future. On the other hand a research carried out by Bouton (1993) in which the relation between the above two stages of memory storage and retrieval was found out, the basic aspect that was targeted was the learning process which is always affected by the stage of forgetting in various stages of life. The aspects that were raised for consideration for the relation between these three stages of the memory system included extinction, counter conditioning, and reservation. In accordance to the researcher it was formulated that the memory storage and its retrieval is basically a process of the brain in which the accumulation depends on the reservation levels of an individual. These levels of reservation were tested with the help of interference of information after specified time intervals, inappropriate learning methodologies, and false methods of observations. It was gained that the above parts directed towards the fact that the aspect of forgetting is mostly due to the influence of the stimulus that motivates the individual to store something. Aside from the above studies, when Schacter’s (1999) research was reviewed, it was gained that the most important method to understand the forgetting procedure is to qualify oneself with the 7 sins assessment. These sins were gained from the study to be transience, absentmindedness, blocking, misattribution, suggestibility, bias and persistence; which lead the system of the memory to store and retrieve data in vain. Thus, this researcher believed that if these negative aspects of the human mind were studied appropriately, the answer to the affiliation of forgetting with memory storage and its retrieval can be gained. It was also specified that the elimination of these aspects may help people in learning things better and memorizing information the way they required. 3. FINDINGS & ANALYSIS The data and the analysis which can be gained from the above conducted formulation have been divided into two categories, as achieved through the literature. The first gaining includes the methodological fact that the brain is unable to retrieve the required information when wanted due to several reasons; out of which common was the level of information that is induced. The second category is of the psychological verification that the brain needs to be in control of an individual and not the factors which were mentioned by Schacter. The involvement of such, as provided by the literature plays an important role in making the retrieval process easier. But the effective role of eliminating such factors according to Weiten (2010) from the perception plays a vital role in bettering memory retrieval. 4. CONCLUSION Thus, both the findings provide that the more there is a specifically measured consultancy of learners with the sources, the more the brain is informed for better storage and the more its storage is formulated (McGraw Hill, 2012). Thus, this paper has brought to light the exact evaluation of what the future prospect can be and how it will lead the readers in achieving the relation between the stages of memory storage, its retrieval, and forgetting. The elucidation lies in the familiarity which is achieved as it revolutionizes and alters the field of psychological understanding. References: Baddeley, A.D. (2002). Human memory: Theory and practice. East Sussex, ESUS: Psychology Press. Bouton, Mark E. (1993). Context, time, and memory retrieval in the interference paradigms of Pavlovian learning. Psychological Bulletin, 114(1), pp. 80-99. Cowan, N. (1988). Evolving conceptions of memory storage, selective attention, and their mutual constraints within the human information-processing system. Psychological Bulletin, 104(2), pp. 163-191. McGraw Hills. (2012). Chapter 8: Memory. [Pdf] Accessed on [29th March, 2012] Available at < http://highered.mcgraw-hill.com/sites/dl/free/007353188x/532256/King_Ch8.pdf>. Oberauer, K., Süß, H.M., Wilhelm, O. and Wittman, W.W. (2002). The multiple faces of working memory: Storage, processing, supervision, and coordination. Intelligence, 31(2), pp.167–193. Schacter, Daniel L. (1999). The seven sins of memory: Insights from psychology and cognitive neuroscience. American Psychologist, 54(3), pp. 182-203. Weiten, W. (2011). Psychology: Themes and variations, briefer version (8th edition). Belmont, CA: Cengage. Read More