Memory Basics: How We Process Information
Scientists generally agree that memory depends on three basic
mental processes:
Put it into
memory
STORAGE
Keep it in
memory
memory
ACQUISITION
RETRIEVAL
Get it out
of
Acquisition
Acquisition is the process of getting information into the memory system, or learning the material to be remembered. If the information is not acquired, it cannot be stored and recalled at a later time. Acquisition requires attention, and it is very sensitive to interference.
For example, sensory information (what we
see, hear, smell, taste and touch), which only lasts for 1-2 seconds, is coded
into our memory system. If we don’t pay
attention to the information, we usually have a hard time remembering it. For
example, you can be sitting in your car at a stoplight, and see 5 blue cars
drive through the intersection, but later be unable to remember the colors of
those cars because you weren’t paying attention to the color, or even trying to
remember what colors they were.
Storage
Storage is the process of maintaining information over time – keeping it in your memory. For example, when you are able to recall a vacation that you took many years ago, you are relying on the storage capacity of your memory. Storage includes working memory and long-term memory, which we will discuss soon.
Retrieval
Retrieval is the process of finding
information stored in your memory and bringing into consciousness. Retrieving
information like your own address or phone number is
usually so fast and effortless that it seems automatic. But when you are
watching Jeopardy on TV and you are trying to answer a question that you know,
but can’t quite recall, you become very aware of the search process.
Retrieval processes include recall
and recognition. Recall means retrieving the information from memory
without any help. For example, writing an essay question on an exam in school –
“Describe the events leading up to World War II”. On the other hand,
recognition is aided by clues, for example, when you write a multiple-choice
exam, which provides you with several options to choose from.