Thinking AND Memory

 Dr Jamsari Alias
 LMCW2462 25 Oct2022
What is Thinking?
 Thinking is any mental activity that helps
◼ solve a problem.
◼ answer a question.
◼ make a decision.
◼ fulfill a need to understand something.
 We think about lots of things every day, e.g. our
current studies, postgraduate studies later on,
career & future life.
 We also think about less complicated things,
such as what to wear today, what to have for
dinner tonight, whether to watch TV or go
shopping, surf the Internet or check email, etc.
The Human Brain
 Some facts about the brain:
◼ Average weight of the brain is 1.5 kg.
◼ Average size is approx. 1400 c.c.
◼ Sends or receives messages through nerves.
◼ Nourished by oxygen through blood supply.
 You can become a better thinker by
learning how to use your brain to its
maximum potential, something which you
will learn in this course.
Suggestions for Improving
Brain/Thinking Capabilities
 Learn a new
language.
 Become an
amateur critic.
 Stop disrupting
your focus.
 Learn to play a
musical
instrument.
Suggestions for Improving
Brain/Thinking Capabilities
 Solve puzzles.
 Avoid crowded areas.
 Write using a pen or
pencil every now and
then.
 Drink plenty of water.
 Eat chocolate.
 Eat turmeric.
 Eat yogurt.
The Two Hemispheres
of the Brain
 Capabilities of the  Capabilities of the
Left Hemisphere: Right Hemisphere:
◼ Science. ◼ Arts.
◼ Math. ◼ Music.
◼ Analysis. ◼ Philosophy.
◼ Logic. ◼ Religion.
◼ Language. ◼ Instinct/Intuition.
◼ Reasoning. ◼ Creativity.
◼ Organization. ◼ Non-verbal
communication.
Left-Brained
or Right-Brained?
 We tend to be inclined to
think that we use only one
side of the brain depending
on our personality & traits.
 Roger W. Sperry (left), an
American psychologist,
concluded through research
that humans actually use
both sides of the brain,
though not in equal
proportions.
 So, humans do not entirely
use only one side of the
brain and not utilize the
other side.
 Thus, some may be more
left-brained than right-
brained & vice versa.
Levels of Thinking
 Level 1: Remembering.
Recalling & repeating information.
 Level 2: Understanding.
Understanding ideas, sequences,
rules & following directions.
 Level 3: Applying.
Applying knowledge to new
situations.
Levels of Thinking (contd.)

 Level 4: Analyzing.
Through analysis, one can understand
relationships, one can break complex
information into simple pieces, or one can
analyze how things work.
 Level 5: Evaluating.
Making judgments & assessing the value
or worth of something.
 Level 6: Creating.
One can compile ideas & information in a
unique way to create something new.
Why is Thinking important?
 Thinking has become an essential part of
life.
 During our education years, we are urged
to think about what we learn & study, as
well as to solve problems that come our
way.
 When we start working, we are expected
to contribute to our workplace by
generating ideas, solving problems that
occur at work, & making decisions that
help our organization become better.
Characteristics of
Good Thinkers
 They tend to produce
more & better ideas.
 They look at problems
from different angles.
 They are more willing to
take risks.
 They come up with
unusual, imaginative
ideas.
 They base their
conclusions on evidence,
not feelings.
 They are not afraid of
negative responses.
Habits that Hinder Thinking
 Mine-is-better habit: This habit makes
us feel superior to others, sometimes in
terms of ideas, values, social status,
culture, religion, among other things.
 Face saving: This is a habit that people
use to protect their image, honor, or
reputation, especially when something
has gone wrong, to shield them from
blame or shame.
Habits that Hinder Thinking
(contd.)
 Resistance to change:
This habit makes us reject
new ideas & new ways of
seeing or doing
something, so we get left
behind. We become like a
cow; once a cow, always
a cow.
 Conformity: Conformity
in certain matters of life is
good, like obeying traffic
rules. But when it comes
to generating ideas & new
thinking, conformity is
discouraged, & thinking
out of the box is better.
Habits that Hinder Thinking
(contd.)

 Stereotyping: This is an extreme

form of generalizing. It is usually a
fixed, irrational idea maintained
about something or somebody.
 Self-deception: When something
negative happens to us because of
our own doing, we tend to blame it
on others.
Conditions that are
Conducive to Thinking
 Time: Do you think
better in the
morning, afternoon,
evening, or late at
night?
 Place: Do you need
absolute peace &
quiet to think (like at
a park by the lake),
or can you think in
crowded & noisy
places, like at the bus
stop or coffee shop?
Conditions that are
Conducive to Thinking (contd.)

 Physique: A poor physical condition

may affect thinking negatively, e.g. lack
of sleep.
 Emotions: People going through a
difficult, emotional period of their life find
it more difficult to think.
 Attitude: People with low self-esteem
often are not able to think adequately as
those with high self-esteem.
Memory
 Most people think of
memory as being
either good or bad.
We marvel at people
who can remember
details of an event
that happened a long
time ago. As we get
older, we recognize
that our memory isn’t
as good as it used to
be.
The 3 Stages of Memory
 ACQUISITION: In this stage, we
acquire information from various
sources.
 RETENTION: In this second stage,
we store the information in our
brain.
 RETRIEVAL: In the final stage, we
recall the information from our
brain.
Conditions affecting Memory
 Memory is affected
by input, storage, &
output conditions.
E.g. if a student does
not listen carefully to
a lecturer in a class,
he may lose part of
the information being
delivered, so his
input may not be
complete, & this will
affect his memory of
the information later.
Types of Memory
 Immediate Memory: This involves
things that we remember a few seconds
or minutes after they happen.
 Short-term Memory: This involves
remembering information over a period of
several hours or days.
 Long-term Memory: This deals with
information remembered over weeks,
months, or even years.
Tips on Improving Memory
 Break down information
into manageable chunks.
That way the smaller pieces
will be easier to remember
because they are in a
simpler, less complex form.
 Use organizing stationery
or gadgets to help you
remember. When you go
shopping, write what you
need to buy in a list. Use
your smartphone, tablet or
laptop computer to help you
recall certain kinds of
information that you easily
forget.
Tips on Improving Memory
(contd.)

 Concentrate more. During the acquisition and

retrieval stages of memory, try as much as
possible to eliminate all distractions so that you
can focus on the information that you need to
remember or recall.
Tips on Improving Memory
(contd.)
 Use various sensory
modes. Use as many
senses as possible to take in
information. E.g. listen &
watch what your lecturer
says in class.
 Use association. Associate
a name with another item.
E.g. The American
psychologist, Alfred North
Whitehead, says thinking of
many ideas is always better
than thinking of only one
idea. His surname,
Whitehead, can be recalled
by just looking at his picture
on the right. Doesn’t he have
a white, balding head?
Tips on Improving Memory
(contd.)

 Use mnemonics. Use certain short

formats to remember certain information.
E.g. the colors of the rainbow in English
can be recalled through VIBGYOR (Violet,
Indigo, Blue, Green, Yellow, Orange,
Red).
 Relate present information to past
information. Relate what you learn
today with relevant material that you
learned last semester or last year.