Questions and answers with introduction and conclusion

¶ … memory, or short-term memory as it is most commonly referred to, is the brain system that stores and manages information for a comparatively short time (Cowan 2008). Psychologists study primary memory to explain how humans and animals remember, as well as how they learn. Mathematical abilities, the ability to solve problems, reason, and understand language are all thought to depend on short-term memory. For example, solving a story problem in math hinges on the ability to keep in mind more than one piece of information at once (Unsworth & Engle 2007). Researchers disagree about how much information the working memory can retain, whether its capacity can be extended, and how it works (for example, as a system distinct from long-term memory or not). Impaired working memory is linked to some learning disabilities and to illnesses such as Alzheimer's (Polyn & Kahana 2008).

In order for something to be stored permanently a thorough process has to occur. The first step is for the specific memory to be encoded. Encoding is the processing of information into memory (Polyn & Kahana 2008). People automatically encode some types of information without being aware of it. For example, most people could recall where they ate lunch the day before, even though they did not try to remember this information, but some types of information become encoded only if people pay attention to it. Students probably have a hard time remembering what they see in their textbooks because they don't really pay thorough attention to what they are reading. Once something is visually perceived, the encoding process comes into effect. There are three types of encoding processes: structural encoding which focuses on what words look like, phonemic encoding which focuses on how words sound, and semantic encoding which focuses on the meaning of words (Cowan 2008).

Once the encoding process is immediately processed, an individual can either remember it for a couple minutes and then forget, which would be in their sensory memory, or they can remember for a bit longer and get it transferred into their primary memory, or working memory. This type of primary memory, or short-term memory, is often referred to as the working memory because in order for information to be kept here or to eventually transfer it to the ultimate goal of long-term memory, the information needs to be worked at and rehearsed for it to be maintained (Unsworth & Engle 2007). Primary memory has a limited capacity with only storing about seven small pieces of information at a time. Rather than being just a temporary information storage system, working memory is an active system. Information can be kept in the primary memory while people process, or examine it. It allows people to temporarily store and manipulate visual images, stores information while trying to make decisions, and remember a phone number long enough to write it down. If any of this is compromised, memory overall is compromised (Polyn & Kahana 2008). If nothing could get pass the primary memory stage, nothing goes into the long-term memory, and so nothing could be remembered.