What does short-term memory depend on? Short-term memory capacity

Short-term memory is a primary or active type of memory in which information that we are currently processing plays an important role. In Freudian psychology, this type of memory is called consciousness. The information contained in short-term memory depends on sensory perception.

Duration of short-term memory

Most information contained in short-term memory is stored for about 20 to 30 seconds, but this time can be reduced to just a few seconds if there is no repetition of information or active maintenance of it in memory. Many of our short-term memories are quickly forgotten, replaced by information contained in long-term memory.

Short-term memory capacity

The amount of information that can be stored in short-term memory can vary depending on a person's abilities. The figure "7 ± 2," chosen based on the results of a well-known experiment on short-term memory, is often given. In a well-known article called “The Magic Number 7±2,” psychologist George Miller suggested that people can store between five and nine pieces of information in short-term memory. More recent research shows, however, that people can store about four items in short-term memory.

Differences between short-term and working memory

The term “short-term memory” is often used interchangeably with the term “working memory,” but the two types of memory must be clearly differentiated. Working memory involves the process of temporary storage of information, its organization and management. Short-term memory, on the other hand, refers only to the temporary storage of information in memory.

Your own internal memory is the most important mental process. Throughout life, the human brain perceives, processes, stores and reproduces various information, some of which is stored in memories for a short time, while another part can be reproduced even after several years. What are these features of the memorization process associated with? This is primarily due to the fact that a person has 2 completely different types of memory:

1. long-term;
2. short-term.

It is these types that determine what information will be stored in the cerebral cortex for just a few minutes, and what information will be “imprinted” there for many years.

In psychology, there is an opinion that the process of memorization and assimilation, as well as the volumes that short-term and long-term memory can hold, is largely influenced by genetic predisposition.

Characteristics of short-term memory

This type of memory is one of the mental processes that is characterized by time-limited storage of information (no more than 30 seconds) and limited retention of elements (5-9 units). Information is received for short-term storage using sensory sensations. An important point that contributes to the “selection” of material is the focus of a person’s attention on certain objects.

In this case, only knowledge that is relevant at a given time is stored. After this knowledge loses its relevance for a person, it is usually forgotten or passes into long-term memory.

This type of memory is especially sensitive to external influences. Thus, with any distractions, a person can quickly forget information that he wanted to remember.

Features of short-term memory

Despite the fact that short-term memory stores data for a relatively short period of time, it includes important processes for processing the received material:

• coding. In order for a certain information block to be included in short-term storage, it must be of immediate significance to a person. Only significant information is consciously perceived and remembered, albeit for a fairly short period of time. For example, many will not remember verbatim the entire conversation with their boss, but will reproduce only that part of it that was valuable and meaningful.
• storage. The only peculiarity of memory storage is the limitation of objects held in memory. Thus, short-term memory in children is capable of simultaneously storing no more than 5-6 elements (numbers, words, images) at the same time. In adults, the volume of memorized elements is 7-9. However, individual characteristics of memorization must be taken into account.

In psychology, one of the types of short-term memory is considered RAM. This type is designed for storing specific material in a predetermined time range.

Operational memorization is largely determined by the tasks that are significant for a person at one time or another. For example, RAM helps schoolchildren remember material for tomorrow’s lesson, after which the information can be stored for a longer period of time or be completely repressed.

What is long-term memory?

This type of memory is considered a more reliable storage of various information. In most cases, it stores information that has personal meaning for a person or has found an emotional response in his soul. The amount of material remembered and the length of time it is stored can be completely different for all people.

A little about genetics

Psychology identifies another type of memory, which is usually classified as long-term - genetic memory. It is designed to store information about our ancestors on a subconscious level. Scientists believe that it is genetic memory that determines a person’s behavior, his character and even his destiny.

Some experts believe that this type of memorization is limited to the age of 2-3 years. However, other researchers believe that genetic memory stores information throughout a person's life. Moreover, such a “memory trace,” albeit subconscious, is the fundamental basis of the concept of “long-term memory,” which consists of long-term storage of valuable information.

The relationship between short-term and long-term memory

There is a close relationship between these concepts. That knowledge that is of particular interest to a person passes into long-term memory. And from it the necessary information blocks are then periodically extracted and entered into short-term memory.

The interaction of these types of memory is constantly observed and it is this that characterizes the quality of memorization and assimilation of certain information, as well as a person’s ability to extract and reproduce previously acquired knowledge.

Thus, long-term and short-term storage of information perform important functions in memorizing and reproducing material. Short-term ability lends itself well to training and development when performing special exercises. Long-term can also be developed, but it requires much more time and effort.

Regardless of the purpose for which a person remembers this or that information, it will necessarily be initially stored in short-term memory. In the future, the data either loses its relevance and is supplanted, or is transferred to long-term storage so that it can be reproduced at the necessary time. Those who want to develop their memory need to constantly practice memorizing material and the ability to reproduce it after some time.

Short term memory is memory in which the retention of material is limited to a certain, usually short, period of time. A person's short-term memory is connected with his actual consciousness.

Long-term Memory is designed for long-term storage of information, not a predetermined period. It is not connected with the actual consciousness of a person and presupposes his ability at the right moment to remember what he once remembered. Unlike short-term memory, where recollection is not required (since what has just been perceived is still in the actual consciousness), with long-term memory it is always necessary, since the information associated with perception is no longer in the sphere of actual consciousness.

When using long-term memory, recall often requires certain volitional efforts, so its functioning is usually associated with will.

To store information in short-term memory, it is always necessary to maintain continuous attention to the memorized material during the entire time it is retained in memory; with long-term memorization this is not necessary.

Operational called memory that occupies an intermediate position between short-term and long-term. It is designed to preserve the material for a predetermined period, i.e. to be able to easily remember what you need at a given time.

Motor memory is memorization and preservation, and, if necessary, accurate reproduction of various movements. It is involved in the formation of a person’s motor skills and abilities and is especially necessary in those activities that require a person to have rather complex forms of movements.

good visual People with eidetic perception have memory, i.e. those who are able to “see” a picture or object that is absent from the real visual field for a long time. Visual memory is associated with the storage and reproduction of images; it is extremely important for people of all professions, especially police officers, artists, and designers. This type of memory presupposes a person’s developed ability to imagine. In particular, the process of memorizing and reproducing material is based on it: what a person can visually imagine, he, as a rule, remembers and reproduces more easily.

Auditory Memory is good memorization and accurate reproduction of various sounds, such as speech and music. It is necessary for musicians, philologists, and people studying foreign languages.

Verbal-logical memory is characterized by the fact that a person who has it quickly and accurately remembers the meaning of events, the logic of any evidence, the meaning of a text being read, etc. He can accurately convey this meaning in his own words, often without completely remembering the details of the source material. Scientists and teachers often have this type of memory.

Emotional memory is the memory of past experiences. It is involved in all types of memory, but is especially evident in human relationships. The strength of memorizing material is directly based on emotional memory: what causes strong emotional experiences in a person is remembered more firmly and for a longer period.

In addition to those mentioned, there are other types of memory, in particular tactile, olfactory, gustatory.

Since memory is associated with the will, according to the nature of its participation in memorizing and reproducing material, memory is divided into involuntary And arbitrary. In the first case, they mean the memorization and reproduction of material that occurs automatically, without much effort on the part of the person, without setting a mnemonic task for himself (a task of memorizing, recognizing, preserving or reproducing the material). In the second case, such a task is necessarily present, and the process of memorization or reproduction itself requires volitional efforts from a person.

In the structure of memory, two types of mnemonic abilities can be distinguished, which have different physiological mechanisms: the ability to imprint and the ability to process information semantically. Both types of mnemonic abilities influence the success of knowledge acquisition, but a major role is played by the ability to process information, which characterizes the close unity of the processes of memory and thinking.

Basic characteristics of short-term memory

The average capacity of short-term memory is very limited: it is 7 +/- 2 units of integrated information. This volume is individual, it characterizes a person’s natural memory and tends to persist throughout life. They first of all determine the volume of the so-called mechanical memory, which functions without the active inclusion of thinking in the memorization process.

Associated with the characteristics of short-term memory, due to its limited capacity, is a property called substitution. It manifests itself in the fact that when the individually stable volume of a person’s short-term memory becomes full, the information newly entering it partially displaces what is already stored there. Subjectively, this can manifest itself, for example, in an involuntary switching of a person’s attention from memorization to something else.

Thanks to short-term memory, the largest amount of information is processed, unnecessary information is eliminated, and as a result, long-term memory is not overloaded with unnecessary information.

Without short-term memory, the normal functioning of long-term memory is impossible. Only what was once in short-term memory can penetrate into the latter and be deposited there for a long time. In other words, short-term memory acts as a kind of filter that passes the necessary information into long-term memory, while simultaneously carrying out strict selection in it.

I always had a problem remembering a phone number. Even while using a landline phone, I kept turning to my notepad so as not to confuse the numbers. With the development of technology and the advent of 11-digit numbers, I could not hold them in my head for a second. At the same time, my friend Mikhail, if necessary, could memorize them for several hours.

Once I asked Misha why it was so easy for him to remember long sets of numbers. He immediately said that he had to develop this skill, and now also maintain it.

Mikhail asked me if I had tried to break the number down into its component parts to make it easier to remember. Having received an affirmative answer, he told me how to improve short-term memory and recommended exercises.

Purpose and benefits

The memorization process follows a pattern. First, an image is clearly imprinted and stored for 0.1 - 0.5 seconds. Then, particularly important elements are selected from the acquired knowledge and entered into a short-term database. Without repeating material, data is stored for no more than 30 seconds.

As Haruki Murakami says: “Memory and thoughts age just like people.”

There are types of short-term memory, depending on the source of information:

• tactile;
• taste;
• olfactory;
• visual;
• auditory.

People receive basic information through their eyes and ears. Therefore, the last 2 types are the most valuable, and they are the ones that need to be developed.

The amount of information that is stored for a short period of time is limited. A child is able to remember 5-7 elements, an adult 7-9. But it is necessary to understand that this value is purely individual and directly depends on genetic qualities.

Unnecessary information is immediately erased, important information is transferred to operative or long-term memory. The main advantage of short-term memorization is that unnecessary information is filtered out and only the essence is retained.

This allows you to save time, remember what is really important, and avoid information overload - a source of anxiety and stress. Training means teaching the brain to focus on a task and not overload it.

Exercises

There are different ways to develop short-term memory. They are all equally useful. But you should remember that only regular training gives results. They must be done every day for half an hour.

"Fibonacci Technique"

This is a mathematical series of numbers, where each subsequent digit is the sum of the previous two. If you lose count or forget the sequence, start again. Example 1+1=2, 2+1=3, 3+2=05, 5+3=8, 8+5=13, 13+8=21... Having calculated the sequence, they pronounce it to themselves.

Mnemonic exercise "20"

The task consists of 20 incoherent words. You need someone to write them for you. Task: remember the words in order in 1 minute, and then write down what you remember on a piece of paper. The result is assessed according to the following criteria: accuracy of reproduction in order, number of forgotten words. An example of a task on how to train short-term memory:

• Job;
• book;
• improvisation;
• mug;
• athlete;
• hand;
• equality;
• sofa;
• subtitle;
• pun;
• a tear;
• garden;
• telephone;
• volcano;
• herring;
• chandelier;
• knee pad;
• magic;
• Sun.

There are no memorization rules: it’s convenient to use the associative method - use it, it’s convenient to re-read the words for the whole minute - re-read it, it’s convenient to record it on a voice recorder and listen to it - do it. It is necessary to develop the form of perception that is closer. The main thing is to do it within the allotted time.

"Paragraph"

A popular exercise for group psychological training on the topic of how to improve short-term memory. But the method can also be used for individual training. You'll need a book. It is opened on any page and a paragraph is read out. Task: remember every word.

If the lesson is conducted in a group, a leader is appointed. After reading, he waits patiently for the group to remember the entire text. If difficulties arise, he prompts you with another word. If the exercise is performed independently, then you must first make an effort to remember the text, and only then peek.

“She brought it to her lips... and at the very last moment, shuddering with her whole body, she leaned forward and hastily poured the contents into a pot of fern. And then she sat down and looked at him arrogantly.”

"10 items"

Short-term memory training is closely related to visual perception. Develop it effectively with this exercise. 10 items are laid out on the table. Within 1 minute you need to remember their location, shape, color, etc. After the specified time has passed, the objects are covered with dark material. Task: tell everything that you remember about the objects.

You can start with simple objects, but each time you need to complicate the task. To do this, take parts of complex shapes. Ultimately, you can try to describe drawings on a carpet, paintings, pictures from books. If a description of some artistic element is intended, then one position is enough.

"Emotional outburst"

It is believed that this exercise is more aimed at developing RAM, which is responsible for storing information until a certain time. But without large short-term storage, the information simply will not reach the “operational department”. Therefore, the effectiveness of the technique is high.

The point is that information should be accompanied by emotions. Their absence is one of the main reasons for forgetfulness. For example, tomorrow you need to get a haircut. Any person does what is important to him at the moment. Therefore, everyone says to themselves phrases like: “the day after tomorrow there’s a presentation of the project, if I don’t get my hair cut tomorrow, I’ll look like a monkey.”

We all look for reasons to get things done on time. Exercise allows you to evoke emotions when natural reasons for them are not enough. You need to come up with some kind of horror story. What happens if you don't get a haircut tomorrow? Several options are possible:

1. I won’t be able to wash my hair and lice will appear.
2. When I pass by the parking lot, hair will fall into the window of one of the cars. The driver will squeeze them with glass, and I will run after the car throughout the city.
3. The wind will blow, and my hair will carry me into some Through the Looking Glass. Then look for a way out of this wonderland.

The examples are fantastic, but effective even in this vein. The scarier (or funnier?) the story, the better you remember what needs to be done.

Methods for restoring the situation and drawing up self-portraits

A number of techniques that help both improve short-term memory and develop attention are aimed at reproducing recent events. The most popular of these was the modified Pythagorean technique. She suggests remembering all the events of the day in great detail before going to bed.

It is necessary to remember your first thoughts after waking up, actions after getting out of bed. At the same time, the chronological order is maintained - you cannot jump from morning events to afternoon or evening ones. There is one rule: the brighter the images of memories, the more effective the exercise.

Whether you use this technique or not, you should try other exercises from this group throughout the day. For example:

1. Remember right now what you did before reading this article. Let's say you were washing the dishes. Was it a serving container or a cooktop container? What were more: plates or spoons? What color sponge (rag) was used?
2. When saying goodbye to someone you don’t know well or someone you didn’t know before, take another look at them. Immediately after the dialogue, remember in great detail his face, physique, height, features, clothes. Write everything down on a piece of paper. Try to understand at the next meeting whether you were mistaken in your description.

Exercises can be performed at any convenient time at home, at work, or on public transport. Any situation is taken for research. When studying a person, the main thing is not to look at him point-blank, so as not to scare him.

Total

There are many techniques on how to develop short-term memory. They all boil down to a description of objects, people, and recent events. Development allows more information to be transferred to other departments. Accordingly, other types of perception, memorization and reproduction of information are improved.

“Train your memory to remember what you have already forgotten,” said Dominik Opolsky. Why is this necessary? So that the time spent on reminiscing and self-criticism for unfulfilled things can be spent more usefully.

According to AMI-TASS information, American scientists from Rutgers University and the University of New Jersey came to the conclusion that there is a close connection between the power of intelligence and short-term memory. Mice that had their short-term memory improved through special exercises also showed increased intellectual abilities in special tests.

As a rule, similar conclusions regarding mice and rats turn out to be true for people. Thus, by training short-term memory, a person will simultaneously improve his intelligence.

All that remains is to figure out what short-term memory is and how you can improve its functioning.

What is short-term memory

A person's short-term memory is similar to a computer's RAM - it is used in current work, and is completely erased when the computer is turned off. For a computer, the issue of increasing RAM is solved quite simply. We are adding a new chip. This method is not suitable for humans, but there are techniques that make it work.

Short-term memory allows you to remember something after a fairly short period of time, from a few seconds to a minute, without repetition. With enough repetition, objects move from short-term memory to long-term memory.

The amount of information stored in such memory is quite limited. Research shows that it usually ranges from 4 to 9 objects, with an average of 5-7.

This allows you, for example, to compare prices in a store or dial a phone number by looking at or hearing it once. This type of memory is quite unstable.

Some techniques and exercises

The main exercise for developing short-term memory is memorizing and repeating a sequence of numbers. This same exercise is most often used to test the capabilities of short-term memory.

I will not dwell on this technique. I think most people are not interested in any special exercises to improve and train their memory, but in those techniques that can be used in everyday life to maintain a good level of memory performance.

Grouping objects

The main way to improve memory in psychology is to group objects, or this is also called “chunking” in English.

Using this rule, for example, for the 10-digit telephone number 9258674567, means that it is easier to remember by breaking it up into several parts, for example: 925 867 45 67.

With this division, a person will be able to remember much more symbols, since he is able to group information about semantic groups of letters. It is believed that the ideal size for chunks of letters and numbers, whether meaningful or not, is three units.

As a rule, people do just this, convinced from their own experience that they remember better this way. When someone remembers or says a phone number, they will probably break it down into sequences of 2-3 characters.

It is also known that acoustically similar sets of words are more difficult to remember than acoustically different ones. Based on this, we can conclude that short-term memory relies primarily on an acoustic (verbal or speech) code to store information.

Mnemonics techniques

Mnemonics refers to the replacement of abstract objects with concepts that have a visual, auditory or other representation, associating objects with already existing information in memory to simplify memorization.

Mnemonics techniques have proven to be effective especially for learning problems. They are best used by those who have problems with short-term memory.

To improve short-term memory, it is important to know that memory uses mnemonics to highlight a specific response. Mnemonics include images, sounds, colors, tastes, smells, contact, language and emotions. Most of them are related to the senses. Associating a pleasant color or sound with certain information helps people remember faster.

Mnemonic images should be positive and pleasant for you. Otherwise you will reject them.

You can give the following example of mnemonics. If you like a certain melody, you can memorize a phone number or a person's name to the rhythm of this melody. Chant this several times and see how much more firmly the information is retained in memory.

It is useful to use such techniques if you constantly have to deal with the problem of memorization, for example, due to the nature of your activity.

Of course, this technique does not directly affect short-term memory. Essentially, when we try to form mnemonic connections, we are trying to consolidate information on a long-term level.

Nutrition

It is believed that to improve memory, no matter short-term or long-term, it is necessary to follow a diet containing:

• B vitamins (especially B6, B12 and folic acid (vitamin B9)). These vitamins are found in green vegetables with leaves, in protein products: milk, meat, fish, legumes, etc., in wholemeal bread, yeast, liver, and are part of honey. Vitamins are destroyed during heat treatment and do not accumulate in the body. Therefore, it is necessary to eat food containing them daily.
• antioxidants such as vitamins C, E and beta carotene. Best sources: blueberries and other berries, fresh fruits and fresh juices. As a rule, they are all characterized by a sour or sweet-sour taste.
• Omega-3 fatty acids. Contained in some marine and vegetable fats. These are mainly fish, flax seeds, walnuts, rapeseed oil. Research conducted in 2005 in Italy found that daily consumption of omega-3 acids enhances a person's mental capabilities and increases his ability to pay attention.

It must be borne in mind that vitamins are destroyed by alcohol, refined sugars, nicotine and caffeine. Experiments were carried out with nicotine in particular. The ability to remember after smoking a cigarette decreases significantly.

Additionally

Attentiveness. It's hard to remember anything if you don't pay enough attention to it. Therefore, when you are trying to remember something, do not be distracted by something else.

Regular use. A person's memory is like his muscles - if you don't use it, it atrophies. If you are used to not relying on your memory and not trying to use it to its fullest, most likely it will reciprocate and you will not be able to count on it, even when you really need it.

A short film about memory.