Improved Memory Function Improves Learning and Intelligence - Essay Example

Memorization is seen as a method of learning that allows one to recall information verbatim. From among the known brain functions, this paper chooses to discuss memory and how it can be improved through the reading of newspapers. Unlike the other sources of news and information that are used at intervals, newspaper reading is a daily activity and is thus expected to work better in enhancing memory, which some psychologists say can be done through frequent repetition (Anderson, 1976).

Memory

 Three distinct types of memory are set in the psychology literature: sensory, short-term, and long-term memory.  Memory is considered sensory when people see more than they can actually report (Baddeley, 2000), suggesting that information is received through the senses and emotions rather than through the brain. Consequently, it involves a memory span of only a few hundred milliseconds and a capacity of only about 12 items (Anderson, 1976).  As such, this type of memory degrades quickly.  There is a similar limitation in the capacity for short-term memory although the duration extends up to a minute.  As for long-term memory, it can store much larger quantities of information for prolonged periods of time, sometimes even for a whole life span.  This type of memory can either be declarative or procedural, which differ in the way the mind processes information. It is declarative when, like sensory memory, information is received based on sensations, emotions, and personal associations regarding time or place, while it is procedural when memory functions well because of repetition (Snowden, 2001).           

 Whatever the types of memory people are prone to, many studies show that memory functions can be improved through rehearsal and repetition. This means that people with sensory and short-term memory can store information for long-term purposes if they receive it repeatedly and are forced to retrieve the information for daily use (Baddeley, 2000).  Not all psychologists share this view, however, with some saying that it is not rehearsal and repetition that influence how information is stored in memory but the method and depth of processing.  According to Anderson (1976), the better method is to exert more effort and elaboration in the processing of information.  With more effort, people will recall difficult words better while elaborating the main idea through longer sentences and paragraphs will make recall higher.  When people with poor memory need assistance, they can be trained to make their memory keen by going through such exercises as paired associate learning, free recall, and recognition.  In paired associate learning, one is taught to associate one specific word with another, such as relating the word ”safe” to “fire,” which invokes the principle of stimulus and response.  In free recall, the subject is given a list of words and then asked to recall or write down as many words as he can remember from the list.  The same process is used in recognition although expanded to include pictures.  The subject is asked to study a list of words and pictures and then asked to identify them from among a jumble of other words and pictures.                           

 Reading Newspapers

 Reading the newspaper is a daily challenge to someone with poor memory because of the plethora of information that competes for his attention.  There is political news, business news, local news, sports, crimes, foreign news, fashion, entertainment news, etc. The problem for newspaper readers with short-term memory is further exacerbated by the tendency of today’s newspapers to present the news in an in-depth and analytical manner, which calls for more elaborate language and prose. A reader’s ability to acquire information from newspapers is discouraged when he encounters a new word or phrase and is perplexed by it.  Even if he had known the word or phrase before, he cannot now remember what it means. According to some studies, this difficulty can be overcome by thinking about a specific memory and then repeating the thoughts and actions related to it (Anderson, 1976). Receiving new information the first time is often difficult such that the brain has to conduct a synaptic modification for the information to be acquired. After several repetitions, structural changes occur in the relevant synapses and the memory task becomes easier. This is the reason why reviews are such an integral part of education.                                  

Baddeley (2002) says the mind works a lot like a computer. In reading newspapers or any other texts, the brain selects the information it considers important and then puts this information on file for future use.  However, memory does not always function in the desired manner. This is considered normal for people getting older and for those who forget yesterday’s news like Osama bin Laden still runs around free, or the fearsome Saddam Hussein of Iraq had been executed.  If the things one forgets are as easy as how to open a beer bottle, the problem may be as serious as Alzheimer’s disease, depression, stroke, or dementia, in which case medical or psychiatric attention is required.  Short of these medical problems, one can improve memory functions and read newspapers with more absorptive capacity by increasing the supply of oxygen to the brain, which may be accomplished through physical exercises like walking for three hours each week, swimming, and biking.  For those going older, they can also promote such blood circulation to the brain by keeping physically and mentally active (Snowden, 2001).