Memory

5 Pages 1281 Words

Memory
One of the most important things that involves the brain. Without memory you would not know how to move, eat, or do any of life’s essentials. If I did not have memory then I would have not remembered to do this paper or how to type it. Think about it, memory is essential to your life. Memory is the ability to remember something that has been learned or experienced (Psychology Book). Memory also refers to the brain's ability to store information. Memory is a vital part of the learning process, without it, learning would be impossible. If your brain did not record anything from the past then you would be unable to learn anything new. All your experiences would be lost as soon as they ended, and each new situation would be unfamiliar. Without memory, you would repeatedly have the same experiences for the "first time."(Grolier Encyclopedia).
Psychologists divide a person's memory system into three types, each of which has a different time span. These types are called sensory memory, short-term memory, and long-term memory.
Sensory memory holds information for only a second or two. Suppose you look at a picture of a mountain. A nearly exact image of the mountain is stored briefly in your visual sensory memory, which involves your eyes and parts of your brain. However, the image quickly fades and disappears unless you make an active effort to think about it.
Short-term memory contains what you actively think about at any particular time. It can hold a fact for as long as you think about it. You use short-term memory when you look up a telephone number and repeat it to yourself until you dial it. Unless you continually repeat this information to yourself, it will fade after about 20 to 30 seconds.
Long-term memory can store facts, ideas, and experiences after you stop thinking about them. All conscious processing of information--such as when you think or when you solve problems--involves short-term memory working together w...