Assignment#2

Submitted By : Muaaz Hafeez Gill

ID : F2019331020
Section : C8
Course : Introduction to Psychology
Submitted To : Prof. Ahmed Bilal

Explain type of memory with daily life example?

Human Memory:
Memory is the process of taking in information from the world around us, processing it, storing it and
later recalling that information, sometimes many years later. Human memory is often likened to that
of a computer memory system or a filing cabinet.
There are three main types of memory:
i. Sensory memory
ii. Short-term memory
iii. Long-term memory
Sensory memory and short-term memory allow you to store and use temporary information, while
long-term holds your lifelong memories.

Why is human memory important?

Memory has a fundamental role in life, reflecting the past as the past, and offering the possibility of
reusing all past and present experiences, as well as helping to ensure continuity between what was and
what was going to be.
Main Characteristics of the Memory:

⮚ Encoding, which is the ability to convert information into a knowledge structure.

⮚ Storage, which is the ability to accumulate chunks of information.

⮚ Retrieval, which is the ability to recall things we already know.

Types of Memory with Examples

Sensory Memory
In the sensory register process, the brain obtains information from the environment. This
activity is short, lasting at most a few seconds. During sensory register, the brain gathers
information passively through visual and auditory cues, known respectively as “iconic” and
“echoic” memory.
When you look at a computer screen and then look away, but can still see the screen’s
image, this is iconic memory at play. Similarly, when you have conversations with others and
ask them to repeat themselves, only to understand what they said a moment later, it
demonstrates echoic memory.
Short-Term Memory
Short-term memory occurs in two parts: traditionally termed “short-term memory” and
“working memory.” Short-term memory is when the brain stores information temporarily so
that it can be repeated, such as remembering a phone number you see on TV. Working
memory refers to the brain storing information for the purpose of manipulating it, such as
remembering a set of numbers while working on a math problem. When psychologists talk
about improving memory, they most commonly focus on working memory because you have
the most control over it and can actively improve it.
Long-Term Memory
Many think of long-term memory as a permanent “bank” within the brain. Once a memory
arrives there, the mind stores it completely and indefinitely. In truth, this is not the case.
Although the long-term memory process allows information to remain in the brain for an
extended period, nothing in the brain avoids risk. Information stored in long-term memory
can stay in the brain for a short while (a day, a week) or last as long as a lifetime.
When long-term memories form, the hippocampus retrieves information from the working
memory and begins to change the brain’s physical neural wiring. These new connections
between neurons and synapses stay as long as they remain in use. Psychologists divide long-
term memory into two length types: recent and remote.

⮚ You remember implicit memories automatically, like driving a car.

⮚ You are aware you are actively trying to remember explicit memories.

These can further be divided into:

⮚ Episodic memories: Contain events that happen to an individual specifically.

⮚ Semantic memories: Contain general knowledge.