"Do You Remember?" Memory: How Does It Work?

theneuronuggets
Aug 3, 2023
4 min read

August 03, 2023 By: The Neuro Nugget

“Memory is the treasury and guardian of all things”

- Marcus Tullius Cicero

Most people can remember how to do a skill like play the piano after years of not practicing, but can’t recall their preschool years. This occurrence, which affects the majority of the human population, raises questions like: How does memory work? What prompts the formation of a memory? Why are certain memories more accessible than others? Are certain events more likely to be a trigger for memory creation than others?

What is Memory?

Memory, defined by Harvard University, is “the ongoing process of information retention over time.” In other words, memory is the accumulation of new information being stored in the brain and being accessible for future use or recall.

The intricacies of recollection and memory are important especially as memory forms and shapes life as we know it today. Think about this for a minute: What would the world be like if humans had no memory capabilities? How would we educate? How would we learn? What stories would be lost to time? Undoubtedly, that world would be stark in contrast to the current, which is why the study memory in all its complexity is truly incredible.

Memory sounds like a one-dimensional term, but the concept is actually multi-dimensional. Humans have four different types of general memory (the term “types of memory” is still being debated, as researchers think the term “stages of memory” may be more accurate): sensory memory, working memory, short-term memory, and long-term memory.

Types of Memory Explained:

Sensory Memory: Holds sensory information for a very quick period (about 1 second) and individuals forget them quickly. Includes sensory input like sounds and sights.

Ex: The color of a shirt a stranger was wearing

The sound a car made while passing by

Working Memory: Holds information that is analyzed by the brain to carry out a certain task or action.

Ex: Remembering the directions to a location

Cooking while following a recipe

Short-term Memory: Holds a set of information that one can recall for a short amount of time (close to 30 seconds) Your brain is currently using the information presented, it does not need the information for later use, therefore you forget it.

Ex: Taking a restaurant order, while trying to write it down

Long-term Memory: Memories that many people can recall from various experiences. Information remembered for greater that 30 seconds is classified as being stored in long-term memory (although that doesn’t mean every piece of information stored long-term is highly significant)

There are two subcategories of long-term memory: Explicit and Implicit

Explicit: Things that you actively experienced such as childhood memories or information learned, like how to solve a math problem.
Implicit: Memories that affect your subconscious and your actions/behavior like, riding a bike or swimming. You once had to learn how to do these things, but now they seem like second-nature and you don’t have to give them too much thought.

Memory Formation

The process of memory formation entails encoding, storage, and retrieval,

Encoding

Encoding is the stage in which we interpret information via our senses. There is visual encoding ( for instance, looking at a phone number), acoustic encoding (repeating that phone number out loud to yourself), and semantic encoding (relating that phone number to another situation).

Storage

This is when information is essentially sorted into the short-term or long-term memory categories. All encoded information is stored short-term and then if deemed necessary is moved to long-term memory storage where it can be recalled utilizing the retrieval process. Memories rely on different parts of the brain to be stored properly. Explicit long-term memory primarily resides in the hippocampus, amygdala, and neocortex of the brain. The basal ganglia and cerebellum are utilized in storage of implicit long-term memories, while the prefrontal cortex helps store short-term working memory.

Retrieval

This stage is where individuals are able to access the information stored in their brain. Short-term and long-term memories are not retrieved in the same manner. Long-term memories are triggered by association, such as a smell reminding you of a meal your mom used to make. Short-term memories are retrieved by sequence. For instance, if asked to recall the fourth name in a list of names, your brain will go through that list in the order you heard it to recall that fourth name.

Memory Strength

As mentioned previously, some memories can be recalled as if they just occurred yesterday, while others seem harder to access. This can be caused by the events that occur to trigger the memory formation process. Mainly, memories that have strong emotions connected to them are likely to be recalled easier because that emotional content heightens the perception work of the amygdala which processes emotions and is utilized for explicit long-term memory storage. Other factors like the context, environment, and stress of a situation can have similar effects on memory clarity and recall.

Summary

Memory is a complex topic to delve into. Although, its complexity matches the important role memory plays in not just our personal lives, but in connecting the world as a whole. There is still much to be understood and discovered by researchers and scientists in the realm of the brain and memory, but there is also so much information out there that is already accessible to us, we just need to seek it out.

References

- “How Memory Works.” Derek Bok Center, Harvard University, bokcenter.harvard.edu/how-memory-works#:~:text=In%20its%20simplest%20form%2C%20memory,and%20behavior%20within%20the%20present. Accessed 3 Aug. 2023.

- Villines, Zawn. “Types of Memory: Learn More about the Different Types of Memory Here.” Medical News Today, 2 Nov. 2020, www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/types-of-memory.

- “Where Are Memories Stored in the Brain?” Queensland Brain Institute - University of Queensland, 23 July 2018, qbi.uq.edu.au/brain-basics/memory/where-are-memories-stored#:~:text=For%20explicit%20memories%20%E2%80%93%20which%20are,the%20basal%20ganglia%20and%20cerebellum.