The relationship between sensory and short-term memory
Sensory memory and short-term memory work in cooperation in order to help the brain store information for later recall. When information is first received by means of one of the five senses (sight, hearing, taste, touch, and smell), it is retained for a very brief period of time in the sensory registers. The amount of time that information is stored in the sensory registers is so short that it cannot properly be termed memory; the visual register, for example, holds data for less than a second, while the auditory sensors can hold it for up to two seconds.
What causes us to truly remember information for later use is the short-term memory. Some of the information collected by the five sensory registers is subsequently passed into the short-term memory, but most sensory information is discarded. This is a good thing since otherwise the brain would become inundated with a constant stream of information.
Since some data will be retained and some lost, what determines the fate of any single sensory impression? Most people can cite an instance of being able to remember with precision exactly what a loved one was wearing on a particular occasion, but cannot describe with any certainty what that same person wore on a different occasion. There are two reasons for this discrepancy in learning: emotion and attention.
Memory researchers have long observed that when a specific moment in time is linked to a high degree of emotion, sensory impressions are more likely to be transferred into short-term (and later, long-term) memory structures. Thus, it may be simple to remember what your spouse wore at your wedding or the suit your grandfather wore in his casket. Seeing your aunt last week, in contrast, was probably not linked to high emotion; as such, you are less likely to recall her appearance.
The other reason why some information is retained is attention. Simply by paying close attention to something, we cause our brain to recognise its importance to us. This, in turn, causes the beginning of learning as the sensory memory passes information into short-term storage.
Short-term memory capacity is limited; information stored there will be lost over time as new information is transferred in. In order to truly learn information, it must be transferred into more permanent memory structures referred to as long-term memories. In order to make short-term memories more durable, the learner must review and understand them.
Mind Mapping and speed reading are essential tools when absorbing, retaining and recalling information. These feature with memory techniques on our Advanced Thinking and Learning course, find out more at www.illumine.co.uk/atlw.
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Tags: Improve Your Memory (Training), memory, memory recall, memory techniques
