1. Welcome to Memory
Lecture 1
“Introduction to Memory”

2. How to Maximize Your Memory
Memory is not the same as intelligence.
You can’t really change your intelligence, but
your memory IS within your control!!
The key is putting in the time & effort
necessary to develop a strong memory.
However, techniques to improve memory will
make more sense to you if you have a general
understanding of how our memory operates.

3. Information Processing Chart
OUTPUT
1. SENSORY INPUT
2. SHORT-
TERM
MEMORY
4. FEEDBACK LOOP
3. REHEARSAL PATH
6. LONG-TERM MEMORY
RETRIEVAL PATH
5. LONG-TERM
MEMORY

4. The Information Processing Model
Information is received through our 5 senses:
Sight
Sound
Smell
Taste
Touch
The above is known as “sensory input,” and it 1st moves
into short-term memory but stays there only 5-30 sec.

5. How Short-Term Memory Handles
Information
Quick decision must be made (consciously or
subconsciously) to either retain info in long-
term memory or dump it
Short-term memory contains info. you need
RIGHT NOW
Examples:
Phone #’s you are about to call,
Brief list of grocery items to buy
Limit to short-term memory capacity is about
7 bits of information
Short-term does NOT handle info. you need for
exams
To transfer info. to long-term memory, it must be
repeated over & over…this is called “REHEARSAL”

6. Let’s Test the Limits of Your Short- Term Memory…
28979
5 numbers:
28979
6 words:
ball, cat, trees, candy, cloud,
rug
ball, cat, trees, candy, cloud, rug
7 numbers:
Above exercises are 1 way to test limits of
short-term memory
Frequent practice will improve your short-term
memory
memorize license plates
memorize phone numbers

7. A Memory Cartoon

8. Long-term Memory: the Storehouse for Information that is to be Kept
for a Long Time
Long-term memory=big storehouse with limitless
capacity
Many psychologists believe that once info. is
in long-term memory, it stays there forever
So…why can’t we remember who sat next to
us in 1st grade?!
ANSWER: There is so much information
in our brains, it gets lost.
Thus, our problem is how to RETRIEVE
information from long-term storage when we
need it!

9. Long-term memory is like a massive library, but
information is not always neatly filed.
Memories are
usually filed
according to
subject.
EXAMPLE:
Think of the
name of your 2nd
grade teacher.
When you come up with
the name, other
related memories also
surface.
These 2nd grade
memories are
filed together.
Memories can also
be cross-
referenced or
filed in more than one
place.
Your 2nd grd. teacher’s
name could be filed
with other teachers’
names as well.

10. How does information get
into my long-term memory?
Remarkable events, such as 9/11, enter long-
term memory without any real effort from us.
But…textbook information or what we ate for
dinner 3 nights ago usually does NOT stick in
our minds effortlessly!
Textbook concepts just aren’t as emotionally
moving as natural disasters, assassinations, etc.
It is true, though, that some information
will stick in your long-term memory by
chance.

11. However, the BEST way to
retain less-than-thrilling info.
in your long-term memory is
through REPETITION, otherwise
known as…STUDYING!!!
Rereading & rewriting lecture notes
repeatedly is better than hoping
that concepts will stick in your mind
by chance or that a natural
disaster will occur
while you are looking
at the information!!!