Improving Memory

According to the notes from my psychology tutor, when an external event occurs, a person encodes it. Relevant data automatically stores as sensory memory. Sometimes the event requires the person’s attention, especially for those important details which one must put in much effort to bear in mind.

Stored information in the mentioned processes becomes short-term memory. It should be further encoded in order to be memorised in the long-term sense. In other words, if further encoding fails, the person can easily forget details about the external event.

In many circumstances we need to improve our memory. The notes emphasised “3Rs”: repeat, rehearse and recall. For instance, a school-kid must copy down vocabulary and repeatedly memorise the alphabet chains and meanings behind the words. Then, he can write short sentences with those words and say those sentences aloud—this is a kind of rehearsing. After repeating and rehearsing, the kid should recall details related to the vocabulary—he may recite the sentences as a performance to his little girl-friend.

Apart from “3Rs”, further efforts can be put in to improve one’s memory. Making details meaningful can help a person to memorise things in a relatively easy way: After the boy recites his sentences to his girl-friend, his girl friend can lengthen the story with the used words. Since the words repeat, rehearse and recalls again, the kid can input his mood into the mentally reｃ ｒｅａｔｅd situation. Long-term memory is further boosted.

(The whole passage is written by Ivina with highlighted terms deprived from notes by a psychology tutor)