In cognitive psychology, memory systems are really important for understanding how we take in, keep, and recall information. There are many different types, models, and theories about memory that help us get a better idea of how our minds work.
Generally speaking, memory systems can be split into four main types:
Each type is key to how we think and helps us understand what we experience in our daily lives.
Sensory memory is like a very short storage area for the information we get from our senses—like what we see, hear, and touch. It holds this information for a tiny moment before it disappears or moves into short-term memory.
There are two main types of sensory memory:
Iconic Memory: This is for what we see. It lets us catch a quick glimpse of images. But it only lasts about 250 milliseconds, which is super short.
Echoic Memory: This one is for sounds. It sticks around a little longer, about 3 to 4 seconds. This type of memory helps us understand spoken words and have conversations.
So, sensory memory acts like a quick filter that decides what information is important enough to keep moving forward.
Short-term memory (STM) is where we keep information that we are focusing on for a little while. We can hold onto a small amount of info for about 20 to 30 seconds. Here are some important features of short-term memory:
Capacity: A famous researcher named George A. Miller found out that we can typically hold about 7 items in our short-term memory. This is called Miller's Law. It shows us that our memory has limits, and we often need tricks to help us remember things better.
Decaying Information: If we don’t keep thinking about or practicing the info, it fades away quickly. We can use strategies like chunking, which means grouping information into smaller, meaningful parts, to help remember better.
Long-term memory (LTM) is where we store information for a longer time. This type of memory can last for days, years, or even a lifetime. Long-term memory can be divided into a few categories:
Declarative Memory (Explicit Memory): This is when we consciously remember facts and events. It can be split into:
Non-Declarative Memory (Implicit Memory): This is for memories we don't think about consciously. They influence how we act, like:
Long-term memory is super important because it helps us connect new information with what we already know. It also lets us recall past experiences when we need them now.
Working memory is like a special version of short-term memory. It helps us not only hold information but also work with it actively. Here are some main parts of working memory:
In cognitive psychology, memory systems are really important for understanding how we take in, keep, and recall information. There are many different types, models, and theories about memory that help us get a better idea of how our minds work.
Generally speaking, memory systems can be split into four main types:
Each type is key to how we think and helps us understand what we experience in our daily lives.
Sensory memory is like a very short storage area for the information we get from our senses—like what we see, hear, and touch. It holds this information for a tiny moment before it disappears or moves into short-term memory.
There are two main types of sensory memory:
Iconic Memory: This is for what we see. It lets us catch a quick glimpse of images. But it only lasts about 250 milliseconds, which is super short.
Echoic Memory: This one is for sounds. It sticks around a little longer, about 3 to 4 seconds. This type of memory helps us understand spoken words and have conversations.
So, sensory memory acts like a quick filter that decides what information is important enough to keep moving forward.
Short-term memory (STM) is where we keep information that we are focusing on for a little while. We can hold onto a small amount of info for about 20 to 30 seconds. Here are some important features of short-term memory:
Capacity: A famous researcher named George A. Miller found out that we can typically hold about 7 items in our short-term memory. This is called Miller's Law. It shows us that our memory has limits, and we often need tricks to help us remember things better.
Decaying Information: If we don’t keep thinking about or practicing the info, it fades away quickly. We can use strategies like chunking, which means grouping information into smaller, meaningful parts, to help remember better.
Long-term memory (LTM) is where we store information for a longer time. This type of memory can last for days, years, or even a lifetime. Long-term memory can be divided into a few categories:
Declarative Memory (Explicit Memory): This is when we consciously remember facts and events. It can be split into:
Non-Declarative Memory (Implicit Memory): This is for memories we don't think about consciously. They influence how we act, like:
Long-term memory is super important because it helps us connect new information with what we already know. It also lets us recall past experiences when we need them now.
Working memory is like a special version of short-term memory. It helps us not only hold information but also work with it actively. Here are some main parts of working memory: