Memory is an integral part of human life. It enables people to recall their childhood memories, understand their surroundings, and relate with friends, colleagues, and family members. There are two types of memories, namely implicit and explicit memories. Implicit memory refers to the content that people recall subconsciously, while explicit memory refers to recollection of the ideas and images that an individual had seen or interact with earlier. The brain is responsible for processing memory; it encodes, stores, and retrieves information. The chapter “Memory: Models and research methods” provides vivid descriptions of the purpose, factors associated with, and significance of memory in daily activities.
I learned that one of the purposes of memory is academic performance. Explicit-memory, declarative-knowledge, recall, recognition, and implicit-memory tasks determine how people process information ( Sternberg, 2008 ). Some students can recall the words and images they had read and seen before taking an exam. Such an ability enhances their ability to excel in the examination. It is common to find students attempting to read vital contents before entering the exam room; this approach enables them to relate between the short-term and long-term memory. The short-term store holds information for about 30 seconds unless a person rehearses the content ( Sternberg, 2008 ). Rehearsal enables the short-term store to connect with the long-term store to boost recall abilities. However, very few students have high recall memory. Most students tend to recognize the contents they had read after a student says the correct answer. Students with excellent recall memory are likely to have exemplary academic scores.
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Diseases such as amnesia and Alzheimer’s can contribute to memory loss. This article provided insights into the relationship between these diseases and memory loss. For example, the author stated that amnesia leads to explicit memory loss ( Sternberg, 2008 ). Initially, I did not know about the type of memory that amnesia affects. After reading the chapter, I discovered that amnesia could cause a person to forget the events before a trauma. However, such an individual may have implicit memory. A person with amnesia can learn how to ride a bicycle but may not recall their friend’s name ( Sternberg, 2008 ). This article’s findings have guided me on how to interact with people who have amnesia. Additionally, I learned that Alzheimer’s disease affects the brain part associated with memory. For this reason, older adults with Alzheimer’s are likely to rely on their family members to recall simple tasks such as their breakfast meal.
Memory enhances people’s ability to learn different languages and divide tasks. One of the components of working memory is the central executive; it allows the brain to switch between tasks and prioritize activities that require attention ( Sternberg, 2008 ). Central executive enables people to multitask. Although the concept of multitasking is not well-defined, some individuals can perform two tasks at once. For example, a person can write while listening to a teacher dictating notes. Central executive allows a student to prioritize attending to the teacher’s instructions, storing the information in the short-term store, and recalling it during writing. Bilingual individuals have an excellent central executive feature that prevents interference between different languages ( Sternberg, 2008 ). Anyone with a proper working memory can learn two languages. An individual needs to practice how to relate the visual objects to phonological and semantic elements.
Overall, this article has taught me about the different components of memory. I have learned the difference between recall and recognition. Initially, I could not find the distinction between the two elements. I noticed that most people have higher recognition memory than recall memory. However, a person can train their mind to improve the recall memory. This process requires constant practice and relating objects with numbers and environmental features. However, diseases like Alzheimer’s and amnesia may have long-term memory loss problems.
Reference
Sternberg, R.J. (2008). Cognitive psychology (5th ed.).
