In order to process info from STM to LTM, we must find a way to make sense of new info by linking it to what we already know, or by organizing new info in a way that fits current patterns.  Elaborative rehearsal of new material helps us find meaning and relevance; it, too, assists us in the transfer of new information to LTM.

 

•But I felt really odd, like Mom was trying to make sense of me, or figure me out.

•I felt like a piece of a puzzle Mom was analyzing to see if I matched anything she had already experienced.

 

Information that has meaning and importance to us is further processed into LTM.  Information that does not seem relevant fades out of the processing system.

 

Brain imaging technology indicates that a seahorse-shaped structure called the hippocampus plays a part in processing long-term memories.

 

•I flew onto a seahorse named “Hippo” (hippocampus, for you brains).

 

P.S.  Don’t even try to figure out why a seahorse is named Hippo.

 

We also know that REM sleep plays an important role in solidifying long-term memories.

 

•While I was on the hippo, Mom and I took a long nap.

•I don’t know exactly how long we slept, but we had some awesome dreams.

•When I woke up I felt a lot more solid, like I had eaten a big fat steak.

 

•I wasn’t even quite awake when that hippo sneezed.

•I blew off him in some electrochemical goo and landed in a file cabinet

One metaphor for long-term memory is that of a very complex set of file cabinets containing intricate connections of neurons.  The neural networks of the brain are amazingly plastic—that is, they have the ability to continually reorganize themselves based upon new learning.

 

•Now this was no ordinary file cabinet.

•It had compartments, and I was in one with other Mem’s that looked like me.

 

Information is gathered in the brain by neural branches called “dendrites.”  Info is transmitted through the brain via neural fibers called “axons.”

 

•But the files had branches that reached out and grabbed each other.

•Soon, I was connected to many other Mem’s.  Just like that, I had a new family!

 

Long term memory has an unlimited capacity.  We continue to form neural connections throughout life.  The more neural connections we form, the easier it becomes to make sense of new information and to retrieve stored information.  When we retrieve info, it is temporarily re-processed in working memory.

 

•And that is where I have stayed for a very long time.

•Occasionally, Mom picks me out of the cabinet and looks me over on the work table again.

 

Once we store information in LTM, it seems to last indefinitely.  However, retrieval is sometimes difficult.

 

•But then Mom puts me back in the cabinet where she can easily find me again.

•My family says if I play my cards right, I will be here forever

What most of us want to know about memory is how to improve it.  One way to improve it is to better understand how memory works, and now you do.

 

Another way to improve memory is to use specific memory strategies.  Take this quick memory quiz and then analyze how you were able to remember the answers.

 

•So now you know the fascinating story of me, Mem Ory.

•Pass it on and you will make me stronger!

 

It is not important what you remembered.  It is important how you remembered.

One way to improve memory is to use memory aids called “mnemonics.” 

or example, we use rhymes like, “Thirty days hath September, April, June, and November… “ to help us remember how many days are in each month.

To remember items in a sequence, we can use an acrostic, a sentence in which the first letter of each word in the sentence represents the first letter of the items we need to remember.  For example, we might remember the planets by learning, “My Very Earthy Mother Just Sat Under New Plumes.” 

Another wonderful memory aid is visualization.  Whenever we need to locate a lost item, it is helpful to visualize the place where we had the item last, or visually retrace our steps until we find the lost item.  Visuals seem to establish a dual code in LTM—words and images.  This is why visual aids are so important in teaching.

Repetition also helps us remember.  The best way to learn a new skill is to practice it (correctly) over and over again.  Eventually, the new skill becomes automatic, like driving a car is for most adults.

Now, what about our oldest memories?  Was your oldest memory a flashbulb picture of some personal episode, like a birthday party or the birth of a sibling, for example?  Most people’s oldest memories are “episodic memories” –personal events tied to a particular time and place.   Episodic memories almost always have an emotional element.  Thus, emotions have a powerful affect on LTM, which explains this use of story to discuss the workings of memory.

Here is one last picture to help you improve your memory.