What Is Memory and How Does It Work - Essay Example

What Is Memory and How Does It Work? Memory Stores The ability to create and use memories forms an essential part of normal human functioning. Information is stored in human memory for varying periods of time; from a few seconds to decades. The most transient memory store is the Sensory Memory which stores sensory data for as few as 3-4 seconds (Robinson-Riegler & Robinson-Riegler, 2008). Information attended to in the sensory memory moves to the short-term memory (STM). The STM is a temporary storage that allows an individual to hold information while they use it for about 30 seconds; although it is possible to retain the information for slightly longer durations by rehearsing it (Robinson-Riegler & Robinson-Riegler, 2008). The STM is a limited capacity store, and can hold approximately 7 items at a time. Unless, these items are rehearsed, the memory trace decays and forgetting takes place. Baddeley and Hitch (1974; in Smith & Kosslyn, 2008) provided an alternate explanation for the short-tem memory store called the Working Memory (WM). According to them, WM has multiple components that process particular kinds of information. The dominant mechanisms are a central executive that processes information and takes decisions, the visuospatial sketchpad that processes visual information and the phonological loop which processes auditory data (Smith & Kosslyn, 2008). An individual is thus able to retrieve information from long term memory and hold it in working memory while they use it. The long term memory store (LTM) contains memories as young as a few hours old to as old as a few decades. Memories are stored in nodes in the LTM, and similar items are connected to each other; so that in accessing one memory, other associated memories also become accessible (Robinson-Riegler & Robinson-Riegler, 2008). Unlike the more transient stores, memories are not completely erased from the long term store unless the individual suffers damage to the brain. But people often have trouble retrieving information if it was inefficiently encoded or if they are not presented with adequate cues. Another factor that can affect retrieval is the presence of a medical condition like Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease or other forms of dementia that can cause significant problems in this profess. The SAGE Memory Test The “Self Administered Gerocognitive Examination” or the SAGE is a simple self administered screening test that checks for signs of dementia and other cognitive impairments that inhibit memory use. This test was developed by Scharre et al. (2010) at the Ohio State University Medical Center to be used as a tool to test different aspects of memory use in adults. The test assesses the use of information stored in LTM and has four parallel forms that can be used interchangeably. Each form consists of 12 questions that allow the user to test different aspects of memory and to differentiate between normal cognitive functioning, mild deficits and major deficits. Besides the scored items, the test also helps gather data on a number of variable that predispose an individual for conditions that cause memory deficits. The authors caution that the test is only a screening device and cannot be used as a substitute for formal testing. The SAGE has a score range from 0 to 22, with scores below 17 suggesting some impairment and scores below 14 suggesting major impairments (Scharre et al., 2010). This individual used form A of the test as described by the authors, and had it scored using the prescribed scoring key. A score of 20 was obtained; demonstrating that this individual has normal cognitive abilities and does not suffer from memory impairments. The data from the non-scored questions do suggest that the author may be experiencing intermittent stressors that affect memory, and should explore means of dealing with such stress effectively. Encoding Encoding is the process by which people commit information to memory. The first step in encoding any information is to attend to it. When a piece of information is attended to, the person is able to perceive the specific details which are then processed on the basis of their visual and auditory impact as well as they meanings (Robinson-Riegler & Robinson-Riegler, 2008). The level at which information is processed indicates the amount of resources used and the number of associations formed. As processing becomes more elaborate, more information is encoded and more associations are formed. This increases the likelihood that the information will become more accessible during retrieval (Smith & Kosslyn, 2008). This is true of incidental as well as motivated learning. Over time, memories become consolidated and they become more stable (Smith & Kosslyn, 2008). Encoding is affected by a number of factors like the amount of attentional resources available, the extent to which the individual was active or able to ‘generate’ the information and the extent to which the different exposures to the material are spaced out (Smith & Kosslyn, 2008). Typically, people are able to both, learn and remember things better when they have more resources available to use, are more involved in creating the meanings assigned to a unit of information and when they take breaks to assimilate information between exposures. The SAGE tests for material that is both procedural and semantic. It tests the individual’s ability to access and use generic facts and use logical rules that maybe learnt a long time ago. This individual’s experience with the test suggests that they experienced effective encoding of the tested material, and was able to use rules effectively most of the time. Retrieval Retrieval of information occurs when we perceive a cue that suggests that we can use the stored information. These cues can activate multiple memories which are accessed together to form a complete memory pattern that allows the person to recapitulate the conditions that were accessible during encoding (Smith & Kosslyn, 2008). Cues to retrieval can range from specific questions, to presenting the context for retrieval, the valance associated with the information, the physical or emotional state of the person, the familiarity of the information and the frequency with which it is used (Robinson-Riegler & Robinson-Riegler, 2008). The SAGE test provides a number of direct cues to retrieval, and tests the individual’s ability to apply these cues and access the correct units of information in adequate quantities. Although these questions looks simple to most people and this individual performed adequately as well, those with memory deficits of some kind can find these questions challenging if not daunting. It is important to remember that such persons would not be able to access all of their LTM. Thus, this test can provide cues to what particular aspects present challenges to different people. References Robinson-Riegler, G., & Robinson-Riegler, B. (2008). Cognitive psychology: Applying the science of the mind (2nd ed.). Boston , MA: Pearson/Allyn and Bacon. Scharre, D. W., Chang, S. I., Murden, R. A., Lamb, J., Beversdorf, D. Q., Kataki, M., Naharaja, H.N., & Bornstein, R.A. (2010). Self-administered Gerocognitive Examination (SAGE): A brief cognitive assessment instrument for Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI) and early dementia. Alzheimer Disease & Associated Disorders, 24, 64-71. Smith, E. E., & Kosslyn, S. M. (2008). Cognitive psychology. New York, NY: Pearson Prentice Hall. Read More