Memory Processes
Memory can be classified into short-term memory, long-term memory, and working memory. Short-term memory is the ability to retain a small amount of information for a short period; long-term memory is how one keeps large amounts of information for longer periods. Working memory is the active use of information held in the mind, such as solving problems or making speeches again and again, or decision-making (Cavanaugh & Blanchard-Fields, 2011).
Another difference in memory is that between explicit and implicit memory. Explicit memory relies on the conscious, intentional recollection of information, like recalling facts or past events. It includes semantic memory (knowledge of facts and concepts) and episodic memory (recall of personal experiences): for example, remembering the capital of a country or recalling a birthday celebration. Implicit memory refers to unconscious memories that influence behaviors without a persons deliberate recollection. It includes procedural knowledge, like how to ride a bike or tie shoelaces, where the...
It just happens unconsciously. This is evident in language tasks such as word stem completion, where exposure to information unconsciously...
…are provided. Older adults tend to experience more tip-of-the-tongue states (temporary inaccessibility of information where they are close to remembering but cant quite get it), which points to age-related memory retrieval problems (Cavanaugh & Blanchard-Fields, 2011).
However, retrieval performance improves when more environmental support is provided, such as recognition tasks that include cues to prompt recall. This suggests that even though retrieval may weaken with age, external support can help to strengthen retrieval or get it going better (Cavanaugh & Blanchard-Fields, 2011). Additionally, research on brain activity using PET scans has shown that younger adults show greater activation in certain brain regions during encoding, which suggest…
