Memory in psychology. Properties, types, processes, functions, definition, disorders, classification, mechanisms

Definition

Memory is involved in processing a huge amount of information. This information takes many different forms, such as images, sounds, or meanings.

For psychologists, the term “memory” covers 3 important aspects of information processing:

• Memory encoding. When information enters the memory system (from sensory input), it must be converted into a form that the system can handle so that it can be stored.
• Memory capacity. How data is stored affects how it is processed in the future. Miller put forward this idea in 1957 and called it the magic number 7. According to him, the capacity of short-term memory was 7-9 items because it only had a certain number of “slots” in which items could be stored.
• Memory restoration. This refers to retrieving information from storage. When a person is asked to retrieve something from memory, the differences between short-term (STM) and long-term (LTM) memory become very clear. STM is stored and retrieved sequentially. LTM is stored and retrieved by the association.

There are 3 main ways to encode (change) information:

• visual (picture);
• acoustic (sound);
• semantic (meaning).

Most memory research is based on experiments conducted in laboratories. Psychologists use the term "ecological validity" to refer to the extent to which research findings can be generalized to other settings.

Memory in psychology (the properties of long-term and short-term memory are still poorly understood) has been tested through experiments. They have high ecological validity if the results can be generalized, applied, or extended to settings outside the laboratory.

It is often assumed that if an experiment is realistic or plausible, then there is a high probability that its results can be generalized. If this is not realistic (if the laboratory conditions and tasks are staged), then the results are less likely to be generalizable across situations.

The rudiments of memory begin to form in a person in the womb, at 5 months of pregnancy

Thus, the embryo learns to remember and recognize sounds and reacts positively to the mother’s voice and familiar music. The peak of memory development occurs at the age of 19-25, which is why this time is great for getting an education. Well, memory fades after 50, and only in people who don’t train it. For example, the same teachers, actors or researchers can maintain clarity of mind until death due to the characteristics of the profession, which forces them to constantly memorize large amounts of new information.

Kinds

Memory was a subject of study among many 20th century psychologists, and remains an active area of ​​study for modern cognitive scientists:

Memory in psychology, the properties of which explain the process of encoding and storing information, can be divided into several types. Depending on the type of brain process, people use recently acquired information or old information that has been stored for several years.

How to develop memory

In many ways, memory development is associated with training attention and improving the ability to concentrate. These processes are interconnected, since the more a person keeps his attention on something, the more he is able to remember.

The effectiveness of memorization depends on:

• motivation, desire to remember this information
• significance, which is directly related to practicality
• emotional perception
• depth of immersion in material
• number of repetitions
• psychophysical state
• combining different memorization techniques

Processes

People first process stimuli through their sensory memory—this information is typically stored in the brain for less than a second. The information is then transferred to short-term memory, or working memory, which allows you to think things through and store key points in your mind. Finally, past events enter long-term memory (episodic or semantic).

Different areas of the brain influence aspects of memory.

For example, the hippocampus is associated with spatial memory, which helps the brain map the world around it and bypass negative emotions:

• To form new memories, information must be converted into a usable form, which occurs through a process known as encoding. Once information has been successfully encoded, it must be stored in memory for later use. Most of this stored memory lies outside of consciousness most of the time, except when you really need to use it. The retrieval process brings stored memories into the conscious part of the brain.
• Sensory memory is the earliest stage of information processing. At this stage, sensory information from the environment is stored for a very short period of time, usually no more than ½ second. for visual information, and 3 or 4 sec. for auditory information. Short-term memory, also known as active memory, is information that a person is currently aware of or thinking about. In Freudian psychology, this memory is called the conscious mind.

• Paying attention to sensory memories generates information in short-term memory. Most of the information stored in active memory will be there for about 20-30 seconds.
• Long-term memory refers to the permanent storage of information. In Freudian psychology, long-term memory can be called preconscious and unconscious. This information is largely beyond comprehension, but can be transferred into working memory and used as needed. Some of this information is quite easy to remember, while other memories are much more difficult to access.

Clustering is used to organize related information into groups. Information that is categorized becomes easier to remember and recall.

Basic properties of memory as a psychological phenomenon

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As a cognitive process, memory is characterized by the following properties:

1. Volume – the ability to store significant amounts of information data;
2. Accuracy - this property is manifested in memorizing not only the general content of information, but also individual facts and events;
3. Readiness for reproduction is the ability to quickly reproduce information data in the mind of an individual. This property of memory allows a person to effectively use the previously accumulated existential experience;
4. Speed ​​of memorization is an individual characteristic of memory, which is reflected in the efficiency of memorizing information;
5. Duration is the ability of an individual to retain the experience for a long time. It should be noted that this quality is individual and selective;
6. Noise immunity is a property of memory that provides the ability of a person to resist background sounds, interference, and concentrate on the main information that must be stored in memory for subsequent reproduction.

Finished works on a similar topic

Course work Properties of memory 490 ₽ Abstract Properties of memory 220 ₽ Test paper Properties of memory 210 ₽

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Characteristics and properties

Memory in psychology is divided into short-term and long-term. These are the 2 main types that should be analyzed for common characteristics.

Their properties also depend on the following criteria:

• Brief duration that can last up to 20 seconds.
• Its capacity is limited to 7 ± 2 “portions” of independent information (Miller's law) and is vulnerable to interference and interruptions.
• The fading of such memory occurs while taking medication or as a result of injury.

Short-term memory is responsible for 3 operations:

• Visual interpretation, which is the ability to store images.
• Acoustic imagination, which is the ability to store sounds.
• Working memory, which is the ability to store information before using it.

Information in long-term memory is stored as a network of schemas, which are then converted into knowledge structures. That is why a person remembers relevant knowledge when he comes across such information.

There are 2 types of long-term memory:

• Explicit: conscious memories that include perceptions of the world as well as one's own personal experiences.
• Implicit: unconscious memories that have been used without awareness.

Long-term memory is responsible for 3 operations:

• Coding, which is the ability to transform information into a knowledge structure.
• Storage, which is the ability to accumulate pieces of information.
• Search, that is, the ability to remember things that are already known to a person.

Setting tasks for a person provokes memorization - a work plan, further memorization and use of acquired skills. According to S. L. Rubinstein, memory helps to remember moments that depend on the situation in which they were remembered. And the research of P.I. Zinchenko proves that the mindset of memorization is a direct goal for the action of the brain.

If information is remembered by itself, then a person will better use brain data. Random memorization of pictures and telephone numbers indicates that the brain is not afraid of the tasks assigned to it. Otherwise, if you are forced to learn a poem, a person will be more difficult to succumb to this process.

A. A. Smirnov's research was devoted to the main problem of memorization. Productive unconscious thinking was analyzed during the experiment. Specific conditions were created in which a person remembered all the details of the events taking place, but he was not asked to do so.

Under the same conditions, he was given the task of learning the rules of the organization, which he failed to do. These exercises made it possible to introduce a process of analyzing situations into the education system so that workers and students could quickly integrate into the process of ongoing actions.

Memory in psychology. Properties

Psychologist Ebbinghaus studied the volume of such memory and came to the conclusion that it is easier for a subject to remember 5-7 words of unknown meaning. “Clean” memory produced a result that was ½ less than the initial one. However, several days later the person did not remember a single word.

This experiment gave rise to a new definition - mechanical and meaningful memorization:

• In the first case, mechanical actions are aimed at ensuring that a person remembers which foot he took a step from in order to repeat it in the future. This principle helps to work with athletes. The connection of neurons allows you to scroll through information in your head, which then “works” for the result. Complex elements in sports were performed as refined movements, thanks to the fact that a person “played out” their execution technique several times in his head. The deceived brain thought that the human body could work in this direction.
• Meaningful memorization involves isolating the main and important information from the pure flow of knowledge. This technique is still used in theories and practices at universities. When giving a lecture, the teacher points out important points that need to be remembered. They allow students to build on them, developing thoughts to specific events. They, in turn, remain in the unconscious part of memory. When you need to use data, the brain “opens” the door to it.
• The logical combined method of memorization was founded by M. N. Shardakov, who provided people with the opportunity to remember events evenly and in the required sequence. If the chronology of information reproduction was violated, the memorization tactics changed. The goal of the task was for children and adults to learn information in doses, remembering it in full. No one was able to learn entire poems without fragmentation, despite attempts to convey sounds through music.

The combined type can be used to learn a foreign language. The unconscious and logical method allows you to remember the theory and apply it in practice, while the intentional (force) method practically does not produce results.

Memory, causes of its disorders, and methods of memory training

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Memory is a mental property of a person, the ability to accumulate (memorize), store and reproduce experience and information. Memory is the ability to remember individual experiences from the past, being aware not only of the experience itself, but of its place in the history of our life, its placement in time and space. Memory is difficult to reduce to one concept. But let us emphasize that memory is a set of processes and functions that expand a person’s cognitive capabilities. Memory covers all the impressions that a person has about the world around him. Memory is a complex structure of several functions or processes that ensure the recording of a person’s past experiences. Memory can be defined as a psychological process that performs the functions of remembering, preserving and reproducing material. The three functions mentioned are the main ones for memory.
Another important fact: memory stores and restores very different elements of our experience: intellectual, emotional and motor-motor. Memory of feelings and emotions can last even longer than intellectual memory of specific events.

The most important features, integral characteristics of memory are duration, speed, accuracy, readiness, volume (memorization and reproduction) . How productive a person’s memory is depends on these characteristics.

1. Volume - the ability to simultaneously store a significant amount of information. The average memory capacity is 7 elements (units) of information. 2. The speed of memorization varies from person to person. The speed of memorization can be increased with the help of special memory training. 3. Accuracy is reflected in the recall of facts and events that a person has encountered, as well as in the recall of the content of information. This trait is very important in learning. 4. Duration – the ability to preserve the experience for a long time. A very individual quality: some people can remember the faces and names of school friends after many years (long-term memory is developed), some forget them after just a few years. The duration of memory is selective. 5. Readiness for reproduction - the ability to quickly reproduce information in the human mind. It is thanks to this ability that we can effectively use previously acquired experience.

Types and forms of memory

There are different classifications of types of human memory: 1. According to the participation of the will in the process of memorization. 2. By mental activity, which predominates in the activity. 3. By the duration of information storage. 4. The essence of the subject and method of memorization. 5. By the nature of the participation of the will. 6. Based on the nature of the target activity, memory is divided into involuntary and voluntary. 1) Involuntary memory means remembering and reproducing automatically, without any effort. 2) Voluntary memory refers to cases where a specific task is present and volitional efforts are used to remember. It has been proven that material that is interesting to a person, that is important, that is of great importance is involuntarily remembered.

According to the nature of mental activity with the help of which a person remembers information, memory is divided into motor, emotional (affective), figurative and verbal-logical.

1. Motor (kinetic) memory is memorization and preservation, and, if necessary, reproduction of diverse, complex movements. This memory is actively involved in the development of motor (labor, sports) skills and abilities. All manual movements of a person are associated with this type of memory. This memory manifests itself in a person first, and is extremely necessary for the normal development of a child.

2. Emotional memory – memory of experiences. This type of memory is especially evident in human relationships. As a rule, what causes emotional experiences in a person is remembered by him without much difficulty and for a long time. It has been proven that there is a connection between the pleasantness of an experience and how it is retained in memory. Pleasant experiences are retained much better than unpleasant ones. Human memory is generally optimistic by nature. It is human nature to forget unpleasant things; Memories of terrible tragedies, over time, lose their sharpness. This type of memory plays an important role in human motivation, and this memory manifests itself very early: in infancy (about 6 months).

3. Figurative memory - associated with remembering and reproducing sensory images of objects and phenomena, their properties, and relationships between them. This memory begins to manifest itself by the age of 2 years, and reaches its highest point by adolescence. Images can be different: a person remembers both images of various objects and a general idea of ​​them, with some abstract content. In turn, figurative memory is divided according to the type of analyzers that are involved in memorizing impressions by a person. Figurative memory can be visual, auditory, olfactory, tactile and gustatory.

Different people have more active different analyzers, but most people have better developed visual memory . Visual memory is associated with the storage and reproduction of visual images. People with developed visual memory usually have a well-developed imagination and are able to “see” information even when it no longer affects the senses. Visual memory is very important for people in certain professions: artists, engineers, designers. The previously mentioned eidetic vision, or phenomenal memory, is also characterized by a rich imagination and an abundance of images. Auditory memory is a good memorization and accurate reproduction of various sounds : speech, music. Such memory is especially necessary when studying foreign languages, musicians, and composers. Tactile, olfactory and gustatory memory are examples of memory (there are other types that will not be mentioned) that do not play a significant role in human life, since the capabilities of such memory are very limited and its role is to satisfy the biological needs of the body. These types of memory develop especially acutely in people of certain professions, as well as in special life circumstances (classic examples: people born blind and deaf-blind).

4. Verbal-logical memory is a type of memorization when the word, thought, and logic play a large role in the memorization process. In this case, a person tries to understand the information being acquired, clarify the terminology, establish all the semantic connections in the text, and only after that remember the material. It is easier for people with developed verbal-logical memory to remember verbal, abstract material, concepts, and formulas. This type of memory, in combination with auditory memory, is possessed by scientists, as well as experienced lecturers, university teachers, etc. Logical memory, when trained, gives very good results and is more effective than simple mechanical memorization. Some researchers believe that this memory is formed and begins to “work” later than other types. P. P. Blonsky called it “memory-story.” A child already has it at 3-4 years old, when the very foundations of logic begin to develop. The development of logical memory occurs with the child’s learning the basics of science.

According to the duration of information retention: 1) Instant or iconic memory This memory retains material that was just received by the senses, without any processing of information. The duration of this memory is from 0.1 to 0.5 s. Often, in this case, a person remembers information without conscious effort, even against his will. This is a memory-image. A person perceives electromagnetic vibrations, changes in air pressure, changes in the position of an object in space, giving them a certain meaning. A stimulus always carries certain information that is specific only to it. The physical parameters of the stimulus affecting the receptor in the sensory system are converted into certain states of the central nervous system (CNS). Establishing a correspondence between the physical parameters of a stimulus and the state of the central nervous system is impossible without memory work. This memory manifests itself in children even in preschool age, but over the years its importance for a person increases. 2) Short-term memory Storing information for a short period of time: on average about 20 s. This type of memorization can occur after a single or very brief perception. This memory works without conscious effort to remember, but with the intention of future reproduction. The most essential elements of the perceived image are stored in memory. Short-term memory “turns on” when the so-called actual consciousness of a person operates (i.e., what is realized by a person and somehow correlates with his current interests and needs).

Information is entered into short-term memory by paying attention to it. For example: a person who has seen his wristwatch hundreds of times may not answer the question: “Which numeral - Roman or Arabic - represents the number six on the watch?” He never purposefully perceived this fact and, thus, the information was not deposited in short-term memory. The capacity of short-term memory is very individual, and there are developed formulas and methods for measuring it. In this regard, it is necessary to talk about such a feature as the property of substitution. When an individual's memory capacity becomes full, new information partially replaces what is already stored there, and old information often disappears forever. A good example would be the difficulty in remembering the abundance of surnames and first names of people we have just met. A person is able to retain no more names in short-term memory than his individual memory capacity allows. By making a conscious effort, you can retain information in memory longer, which will ensure its transfer into working memory. This is the basis of remembering by repetition. In fact, short-term memory plays a vital role. Thanks to short-term memory, a huge amount of information is processed. The unnecessary is immediately eliminated and what is potentially useful remains. As a result, long-term memory does not become overloaded with unnecessary information. Short-term memory organizes a person’s thinking, since thinking “draws” information and facts from short-term and operative memory.

3) Random access memory is a memory designed to retain information for a certain, predetermined period. The storage period for information ranges from a few seconds to several days. After solving the task, information may disappear from RAM. A good example would be the information that a student is trying to absorb during an exam: the time frame and task are clearly defined. After passing the exam, there is again complete “amnesia” on this issue. This type of memory is, as it were, transitional from short-term to long-term, since it includes elements of both memory. 4) Long-term memory - memory that can store information for an unlimited period. This memory does not begin to function immediately after the material has been memorized, but after some time. A person must switch from one process to another: from memorization to reproduction. These two processes are incompatible and their mechanisms are completely different.

Interestingly, the more often information is reproduced, the more firmly it is fixed in memory. In other words, a person can recall information at any necessary moment through an effort of will. It is interesting to note that mental ability is not always an indicator of memory quality . For example, in mentally retarded people, phenomenal long-term memory is sometimes found . Why is the ability to retain information necessary to perceive information? This is due to two main reasons. Firstly, a person deals at each moment with only relatively small fragments of the external environment. In order to integrate these temporally separated influences into a holistic picture of the surrounding world, the effects of previous events when perceiving subsequent ones must be, so to speak, “at hand.” The second reason is related to the purposefulness of our behavior. The acquired experience must be remembered in such a way that it can be successfully used for the subsequent regulation of forms of behavior aimed at achieving similar goals. The information stored in a person’s memory is assessed by him from the point of view of its significance for controlling behavior and, in accordance with this assessment, is retained in varying degrees of readiness. Human memory is not in the least bit a passive repository of information—it is an active activity.

Most people periodically complain about their “girlish” memory. As a rule, they practically never part with their diaries, in which they carefully write down all their plans for the next day. However, difficulties lurk everywhere. Sometimes not being able to remember someone's name can be quite an awkward situation.

How to develop memory in an adult?

Forgetful people periodically ask themselves a similar question. And those who not only look for the answer, but also begin to implement all the recommendations in life, over time notice excellent results.

Causes of poor memory

As people age, their ability to remember deteriorates and they become distracted. A person needs to keep too much information in his head, which is why he sometimes forgets the most obvious facts. But it's not only that. The older a person gets, the worse his ability to reason sensibly becomes. The causes of poor memory in adults are hidden both in age-related changes and in poor lifestyle, stress, poor sleep and much more. There are fewer nerve cells, and at the same time it is increasingly difficult for a person to delve into something new. Poor memory in an adult can be a consequence of certain diseases. It is noted that the ability to remember, as well as thinking, is adversely affected by: high blood pressure; atherosclerosis; diabetes; completeness. Sometimes memory impairment can be a consequence of developing Alzheimer's disease.

Methods to improve memory

An amazing ability can be trained, like a body muscle. To do this, you need to do special memory exercises. For adults, of course, training will require some effort. After all, this happens most easily in childhood. Kids try to remember everything that catches their eye.

Memory exercises for adults

The load on a student’s memory is already quite significant. But when a person finishes studying and begins to work, his memory is no longer amenable to systematic training. Life becomes more boring and ordinary. In order for memory to continue to develop, a person must receive impressions. It’s good if various pleasant events happen and people try not to forget them.

Effect of tobacco

First of all, you need to get rid of the harmful effects of nicotine. Numerous studies have confirmed that tobacco significantly impairs the ability to remember. If you compare a person who trains his memory and at the same time smokes, and another who does not work on his ability to remember, but does not have a bad habit, it turns out that the first one has a better result. However, if their conditions are equalized, it turns out that tobacco still impairs memory. Studies have shown that students who smoke perform worse on tasks than non-smokers. Although tobacco has the ability to instantly increase concentration, this quickly passes.

Effect of alcohol

A flexible mind cannot be maintained by drinking alcoholic beverages. After all, they also weaken memory. Even a small dose of alcohol reduces the ability to remember. Its systematic use deprives a person of the opportunity to record something in memory. Therefore, those people who are thinking about how to develop memory in an adult should give up alcohol. methods for developing memory in adults It is recommended to exclude all types of alcohol before an important event where you need to remember something.

Medications

Taking certain medications can also affect memory and even cause memory loss. These include various sedatives or stimulants, as well as painkillers, antihistamines and anti-inflammatory drugs.

Basic recommendations

There are rules that allow the memory to always remain in working condition: enrich the blood with oxygen; be sure to get a good night's sleep; do not abuse alcohol and tobacco; refuse (if possible) medications that reduce memory.

Memorization techniques from geniuses

Psychologist Carl Seashore believes that the average person uses only 10% of his memory, while 90% remains unused. Few people know that almost all methods of memory development in adults are based on three natural laws of memorization. It's about emotions, associations and repetitions. Knowing these rules can help both in everyday life and in critical situations.

The law of emotions states that for better memorization it is enough to get vivid impressions of a given subject. The most famous person to use this rule was Roosevelt. He always maintained excellent concentration. Everything he read, he remembered almost word for word. The secret of this method of developing memory in adults is hidden in the need to fully concentrate, at least for a short time, on the necessary information. It is in this case that it will be remembered better than if you think about it for a long time and get distracted.

Napoleon left behind an amazing technique. During the troop review, he perfectly remembered the location of each of his soldiers and his last name. His secret to remembering a person's name was to get a more vivid impression of him. For example, asking how to spell his last name.

President Lincoln had his own method of memorization: he read aloud what was important to remember. It turns out that you need to use as many senses as possible. This makes it possible to quite effectively influence the development of memory in adults. Exercises that involve several senses are recommended by most psychologists. For example, to remember, it is enough to write down and then mentally imagine what was written.

Mark Twain often lectured. To remember long text, he wrote down a couple of words from the beginning of each paragraph. Before his speech, Twain repeated the entire lecture using this cheat sheet. But then another idea came to his mind - and he began to draw what he needed to remember. Thus, the geniuses of the past were able to embody all three laws of memorization.

How to develop memory in an adult: training exercises

Memory training in adults should begin with the following exercises: Keep your mind completely free of thoughts for 5-10 seconds. This is necessary for training concentration. During this process there should not be any tension: nervous or mental. From five seconds it is very important to gradually reach thirty seconds of continuous stay in this state. It is very important to develop not only visual or auditory memorization ability, but also other types. You also need to remember that short-term and long-term memory are equally necessary for a person.

Visual memory can be trained by trying to remember the appearance of people passing by . A fleeting glance at a person walking towards you is enough, and then you need to try to imagine his appearance in all details.

It is very useful to ask yourself from time to time what the wrapper of your favorite candy looks like and what is depicted there .

You can try to imagine what you saw when you passed the store again, what kind of sign there was. At the same time, you need to try to remember everything down to the smallest detail.

In order to improve sound memory , it is enough to regularly read aloud or learn poems with your child. Sing the melody you just listened to. In the street noise, try to hear fragments of phrases and fix them in memory.

When eating, imagine yourself as a taster who thoroughly remembers the taste of the dish . Associate each food with something. Play guessing the dish with your eyes closed.

At the perfume store, spray your favorite perfume onto a test strip. Then try to remember their name. Train with all the smells around you. You can start with simpler scents and then move on to more complex ones.

Try to develop your numerical memory . In order to remember the whole combination, you just need to throw away the calculator. To begin with, you can simply determine the change in the store for each purchase. Mental calculations greatly train memory associated with numbers. Try to determine the price for each product.

Count your steps, for example, from the entrance to the apartment to the elevator door. You can try to remember how many times you have to rotate the lamp in the socket before it is screwed in tightly enough. causes of poor memory in adults.

All types of memory are perfectly developed with the help of any types of board games. You can speed up your thinking processes with the help of chess and checkers, playing cards, and dominoes.

Solving crossword puzzles and all sorts of puzzles will help to train your memory perfectly

Origami improves rote memory. Various types of needlework, such as knitting, embroidery and drawing, improve fine motor skills and concentration on details.

If the effect of self-study is insufficient, you should contact a specialist: a neurologist or psychiatrist.

In addition, in Orenburg at the address: st. Proletarskaya, 153 there is a “School for Patients with Memory Problems”. Classes take place every second Wednesday of the month. Make an appointment by phone (3532) 40-20-11.

Everyone has memory. Some people simply have a phenomenal ability to remember. Others admit to having a “holey” head. According to psychologists, there are very few people with poor memory. At the same time, there are many who do not know how to use it correctly or do not know how to develop memory in an adult.

The article was prepared by a neurologist of the highest qualification category, S. A. Grankin.

When preparing the article, materials from the site were used: https://fb.ru/article/162910/kak-razvit-pamyat-u-vzroslogo-uprajneniya-dlya-trenirovki-obzor-luchshih-metodik-po-razvitiyu-pamyati https:// fb.ru/, Review of the best methods for memory development, Elena Biletskaya, December 29, 2014

Functions and role

Memory in psychology (memory properties are directly related to its role and functions performed by it) is divided into several types depending on the functions performed in a person’s life:

Modern science in the works of P.K. Anokhin explores hypotheses about the mechanism of memory. Biocurrents that are independently renewed in nerve cells help create the effect of visual perception. This is an experiment conducted by P. P. Blonsky, which is based on a mental phenomenon. The act of cognition of a situation occurs due to orientation in the information in the depths of the brain.

The role of memory in human life occupies a dominant niche in the work of the nerve endings of the cerebral cortex. A lawyer must remember the information of all persons participating in the process, a lawyer must remember the theory and veracity of situations. A simple worker must determine the logic of sequential actions. In science they distinguish:

There is another type of implicit memory - these are effects that help to effortlessly reproduce what neutral stimuli in the brain help us remember through associations. A person may unconsciously turn towards a sound or bright light.

Key Features

Memory is characterized by the following parameters:

1. volume;
2. accuracy;
3. speed;
4. duration;
5. strength.

Volume shows how much information can be absorbed. On average, a person uses no more than five percent of the available resource, and this figure can easily increase.

Accuracy refers to the number of minor details remembered. For example, dates, elements of clothing, interior design, exact wording. The speed of memorization and assimilation of information is largely an innate indicator. If you purposefully develop it, other characteristics will increase. The same goes for playback speed. The faster the brain reproduces the necessary information, the more effectively the accumulated experience is used.

The next parameter is the storage duration, depending on the situation and goals. Some moments are remembered for years, others are forgotten immediately. How long information is stored depends on the emotional background of assimilation. The same rule applies to other characteristics. Let's give an example. Traveling the same route by bus every day, you are unlikely to remember what the trees and buildings look like outside the window. Imagine now that the door accidentally pinched you, and the vehicle drove off without noticing it. The images that enter the brain in such an environment will be remembered for a long time, down to the smallest details.

Violations

Memory in psychology, whose properties are also uncontrollable events and their consequences, can be subject to minor and serious failures:

• Forgetting is a surprisingly common event that can occur for a number of reasons, including inability to remember the time period.

• Dementia also affects thinking, judgment and behavior (Alzheimer's disease, progressive supranuclear palsy, normal pressure hydrocephalus, Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease).
• Brain infections (Lyme disease, syphilis or HIV) can cause complete amnesia.
• Parkinson's or Huntington's disease (multiple sclerosis) lead to the destruction of connections between neurons.

To identify the likelihood of mental disorders at an early stage, it is necessary to conduct a diagnosis.

What is memory and how does it work

Memory allows us to relive the past

Memory is the ability of the nervous system to store and transmit information received by a person every second.

Neurophysiologists, psychologists and other scientists study how human memory works.

Thanks to memory, events and images of the past appear in detail before our consciousness.

The brain also remembers how we reacted to these events and allows us to subsequently reproduce this reaction better and more accurately if necessary. These properties of memory underlie learning.

The nervous system processes signals received by the senses and also works with thoughts and imaginary pictures. They are first imprinted and then stored at the level of reflexes and connections between neurons in the brain.

The memory mechanism is associated not only with remembering, recognizing and reproducing fragments of experience, but also with forgetting unnecessary or unimportant information and repressing traumatic experiences.

However, scientists believe that absolutely all information received during life is stored in the head, even if the consciousness is unable to remember it.

Memory works most effectively in the first 5 years, when the child learns to speak and experiences the world for the first time. Subsequently, there is a gradual deterioration of memory, and in old age this can cause incapacity.

Memory, with which we interact with our own life experiences, underlies all cognitive functions, such as thinking and speech.

Diagnostics

To diagnose mental and psychological characteristics of memory, testing is carried out:

• A. R. Luria - “learning 10 words.” The purpose of the experiment is to test the level of memory development.
• The method of “determining short-term memory” developed by G.I. Nevelskoy makes it possible to determine the accuracy and identity of memorization. In the experiment, individuals are given numbers arranged randomly. They need to be reproduced orally or in writing at the required speed.
• Testing “visual memory” using I. Melnikov’s method involves proofreading the story. The subject must write down the words that he remembers. The level of auditory memory is assessed in the same way.

Diagnostics can be carried out in Moscow at the Gerontological Clinical Center, at the Center for Psychological Diagnostics and at the Clinical Psychiatric Hospital. The procedure may be repeated depending on the accuracy and purity of the experiment. If the results are not obtained, a repeat examination is carried out. The cost of testing can vary from 2300 to 8900 rubles.

Development, training and exercises

If memory is not developed and trained, it fades or disappears completely, and a person loses his personality. This is a necessary task for life. Functions in everyday life, in creativity and in any field of activity. It must be developed from childhood, and continue to be trained as adults.

• For the development of visual memory, a table by the German psychotherapist Schulte is suitable. The essence of the development method is this: look at the table for five minutes, then close it and reproduce the content from memory.
• To develop memory, there is also the “Aivazovsky” method - select any three-dimensional object, look at it carefully for 5 minutes, close your eyes and mentally reproduce what you saw.
• Learn poetry by heart. This method trains both visual and auditory memory.
• There is a technique using images and associations. The so-called “mnemonic” (the art of memorization). On the board or on a piece of paper, someone else must write several different words. Once you've studied them, turn away and repeat.
• Pronouncing words backwards helps simulate reproduction.
• Another way to play the game with the words "Cities" and "Word of Words".
• Crosswords, puzzles, scanwords, etc.
• Everyday affairs. Make a shopping list in your head. Count purchases in the store in your head. Retell films and books. Walk different routes and remember the route (shops, parks, etc.). Memorizing new words and terms.

Management methods

Methods for implementing memory functions may imply specific events and actions that are set as a task for the subject.

Mnemonic technique

The essence of the method is to use local binding of verbal intermediaries and divide them into groups.

A person learns a number of elements, compares them and remembers them. J. Bruno developed a methodology to establish the ability to interpret the result obtained in the study. A mnemonic technique allows you to teach a person to evaluate the brain’s ability to hide useless information.

Association method in neural networks

The technique was developed by P.I. Zinchenko. The point is that a person should be able to assemble objects using associative thinking, remembering their role in a person’s life. For example, you need to connect a number of useful actions, correlating their functions to a number of objects. Thus, a person remembers more words, interpreting the result through memories in action.

Flying technology for forgetting and suppressing memories

It was developed by O. L. Podlinyaev, who forced mentally ill people to forget about past negative events in life.

The goal of the technique is to be able to manage the long-term part of memory in the context of neural networks. Suppression of obsessively traumatic events occurs through writing a “burning letter”, emotions that were caused in the past years, and burning emotional complexes.

This technique can involve people in whom simple memory plots cause disturbances in consciousness. For example, a person cannot come to terms with the loss of a loved one and reacts negatively to fire (the fire claimed the lives of relatives). The technique allows you to “let go” of memories and suppress their reaction to the current event (bonfire, burning candle) by burning the sheet on which the emotions are written.

Harris's Mnemonic Devices (1980)

Harris once created an amazing methodology for memory training. The method helped people remember so quickly and store information in the sensory and short-term memory sections for a long time that they inevitably became targets for others. They were able to memorize a deck of cards and magician's techniques, which is why they were considered scammers.

Harris was unable to debunk the myth about these people, since he only created a technique for memory training. To manage such possibilities and learn to suppress rapid memorization syndromes, mnemonist Shereshevsky created synesthesia, which helped disrupt the process of information exchange in the sphere of the phenomenal technique of memorizing everything around.

The essence of the method was that when one area of ​​the brain is irritated, impulses characteristic of the work of another area are activated. Thus, having pushed a person into the abyss, he should not be confused, but rejoice.

This substitution of impulses in the functioning of neurons helped Shereshevsky associate numbers and words with images of people. He also created a technique for forgetting this technique, returning a person to the body’s usual reactions.

Having managed to change the properties of all parts of memory, Shereshevsky created a psychological weapon with which he could control memory. In psychology there are many methods that allow you to manage emotions, thoughts and associative thinking. By studying and interpreting the workings of these parts of the brain, it is possible to control a person and manipulate his feelings to treat diseases.

Unusual memory: historical examples

What is so characteristic of a person’s memorization, which never ceases to amaze? Here are a few examples of phenomenal memory that will shock you and allow you to better imagine the capabilities of the brain.

• The thinker from Ancient Rome Marcus Porcius Cato the Elder is not only the author of the catchphrase “Carthage must be destroyed!”, He was distinguished by his extraordinary abilities in the field of memorization. Cato the Elder was able to reproduce all the words that came out of his mouth throughout his life. The speeches of Marcus Porcius Cato the Elder were often recorded, so comparison with the original left no doubt about the capabilities of the thinker's brain.
• The founding father of Athenian democracy, politician and commander Themistocles remembered each of the citizens of his native city by name. But at that time there were 20 thousand inhabitants in Athens!
• Seneca, a philosopher from Ancient Rome, memorized up to 2 thousand words at a time when they were pronounced in disarray and made no sense.
• The great commander Alexander the Great knew by name every warrior in his 30,000-strong army. Perhaps because of this, people followed him even to India.
• Unusual human memory abilities were demonstrated by chess player Paul Morphy. He played “blindly”, without casting a single glance at the board. So the genius could lead up to 8 games.

• Mathematician Leonhard Euler is a Swiss, German and Russian scientist. He is the author of more than 850 scientific papers. Euler was able to pronounce six powers of numbers from 1 to 100.
• Academician from the USSR Sergei Alekseevich Chaplygin was distinguished by an amazing memory for telephone numbers: once he dialed it, the scientist remembered the order of numbers for the rest of his life.
• In 1805, Napoleon's troops took Rubens' famous painting "On the Altar of St. Peter's Church" from the Cologne Museum. The artist, who wished to remain anonymous, created an exact copy of the masterpiece from memory, which even specialists found difficult to distinguish from the original.
• Jean-François Champollion was the first to decipher the Rosetta Stone and learn to read Egyptian hieroglyphs. Already at the age of 16, the young genius studied 12 languages ​​and presented his first scientific work, “Egypt under the Pharaohs,” to the Grenoble Academy. At the age of 20, Champollion, in addition to his native dialect, already spoke 13 languages, including Chinese, Arabic and ancient Greek.

This is not a complete list of examples of enchanting human memory. Such opportunities seem fantastic and are inherent only to extraordinary people. However, every representative of the human race can develop the unusual abilities of memory and the human brain. There are various trainings and manuals that help to better unlock the potential of mental development. By wisely using the capabilities of memory, you can achieve greater success in life, learn better, learning a lot of new information. This will also allow you to avoid dangerous situations and not fall for the tricks of scammers and manipulators. Developed memory will make it possible to perceive life more fully and remember for a long time the best and brightest moments of the years lived.