INTRODUCTION TO PSYCHOLOGY-PSY 100

The Three Stage Model Of Memory

Memory is a collection of interrelated mental processes involved in the acquisition, storage, and retrieval of information. We learned that memory works in three phases where information obtained is encoded, stored, and retrieved when needed. It explains instances when we memorize definitions or events and we are able to remember them (retrieve back). There is a stage model of memory that attempt to explain how human memory work. According to the model, human memory is believed to have been divided into three separate stages.

The first stage is the Sensory memory stage, at this stage, information is registered from the environment and held for about two-three seconds. From our lecture, we also learned that this stage of memory has a large capacity and functions to hold information briefly until it is processed to provide simple physical characteristics. Human beings learn through this part of the memory by bringing out a continuous perception of the world rather than a series of separate visual imaginings (Visual sensory memory) or disjointed sounds (auditory sensory Memory). Short-term memory is the second stage of memory crucial for human learning, at this stage there is temporal storage of information conveyed from Sensory and long-term memory. This its same as a ‘workshop’ of consciousness, where information obtained (from sensory) or retrieved (from Long-term memory) is brought to consciousness. It allows human beings to recall information and make sense of numbers by storing Information (for 20 seconds) that is currently in use in our conscious cognitive activity. Humans learn using this stage of memory by use of maintenance rehearsal- verbal and mental repetition to store information for more duration. In addition, it has been established that chunking can play a significant role in improving short-term memory (Hockenbury & Sandra 234-236).

The last stage is the Long term memory, which is the storage of information for extended periods of time. Once the information has been encoded/ interpreted in short-term memory, human beings tend to learn through elaborative rehearsal. Here, the focus is given to meaning to encode and transfer to long-term memory. We then rehearse to ensure that the information sticks and can be related to others. The authors state that elaborate rehearsal improves the acquisition of new materials in the memory. In long-term memory information is stored in either the explicit memory (memory with conscious recall) or Implicit memory (memory without conscious recall). When we experience episodic memory (eg events) and semantic memory (general knowledge) we use explicit memory. When we remember how we do things or skills (procedural memory) we use the implicit memory (Hockenbury & Sandra 240).

From our lecture, we learned that learning of information and storage of information can also be forgotten, Forgetting is the incapacity to retrieve or remember information that was once stored in our memory. Forgetting occurs at different stages and we learned that at the sensory stage, forgetting occurs when information is not attended to instantly that it fades and is forgotten quickly. At the working memory stage forgetting has been associated with fading away or decay of information. This occurs when a particular set of information is not memorized through maintenance rehearsal. Moreover, through information interference, outdated information is replaced by new and relevant competing information (Hockenbury & Sandra 251).

Works Cited

Hockenbury, Don H., and Sandra E. Hockenbury. Discovering psychology. Six Edition Macmillan, 2014