Overview
Memory is the glue of identity. Without it, you have no past and no future. It is not a single filing cabinet, but a complex system of multiple processes.
Core Idea
The core idea is reconstruction. We don’t play back video tapes. We rebuild memories from fragments every time we access them, making them prone to error.
Formal Definition
The process of:
- Encoding: Getting info in.
- Storage: Keeping it there.
- Retrieval: Getting it out.
Intuition
- Sensory Memory: The split-second echo of a sound or image.
- Short-Term (Working) Memory: The “RAM” of your brain. Holds about 7 items for 20 seconds.
- Long-Term Memory: The “Hard Drive.” Unlimited capacity.
- Explicit: Facts (Semantic) and Events (Episodic).
- Implicit: Skills (Procedural - riding a bike).
Examples
- Flashbulb Memories: Vivid memories of emotional events (9/11). They feel accurate but are often wrong.
- Tip of the Tongue: Retrieval failure. You have the file, but you can’t open it.
- Method of Loci: A memory palace technique used by champions to memorize decks of cards.
Common Misconceptions
- Misconception: Hypnosis recovers lost memories.
- Correction: It often implants false ones.
- Misconception: Amnesia means you forget who you are.
- Correction: That’s Hollywood. Real amnesia (like H.M.) usually means you can’t form new memories.
Related Concepts
- Learning: The process of acquiring new info.
- Neuroplasticity: How memory physically changes the brain (synaptic strength).
- Dementia: The loss of memory.
Applications
- Education: Studying techniques (Testing Effect > Re-reading).
- Eyewitness Testimony: Highly unreliable, yet used to convict people.
Criticism and Limitations
- The Seven Sins of Memory: Transience, Absent-mindedness, Blocking, Misattribution, Suggestibility, Bias, Persistence. (Schacter).
Further Reading
- Moonwalking with Einstein by Joshua Foer
- The Seven Sins of Memory by Daniel Schacter