Classification of Memory - Overview

There are three classifications of memory. Two of them are known as general knowledge. These are Short Term Memory and Long Term Memory. The other less known is the sensory memory.

Wiki has good definitions of all three of these classifications. So i will just para-phase these rather than to copy and paste.

Sensory Memory
This is a very fast responce (200-500 milliseconds) from when an object is perceiced. If you look at an object or item for a second, we have the ability to remember the object after only a second, this is an example of sensory memory. The brain has a average capacity to remember 12 objects, this was proved by George Sperling's experiments. Sensory memory acuracy is lost very quickly and over time mostly altogether. Another thing about sensory memory is that practice does not improve the memory, like a actor practicing their lines for a better performance (not forgeting lines).

Short Term Memory
This is when some of the sensory memory is changed into STM (short term memory). STM allows one to recall something from several seconds to as long as a minute without rehearsal. STM is believed to rely mostly on an acoustic code for storing information, and to a lesser extent a visual code.

Long Term Memory
Sensory and STM have a a limited duration along with capacity. LTM (long term memory) can store larger amouts of information for what has been discribed as an unlimited duration (a whole life) . Studies have shown that sleep helps improve LTM as it helps to consolidate information. Repetition helps to change information such a set of digits (STM) into telephone number (LTM)

Two things I have found very interesting here is that sleep helps the storage of information by consolidating. I think there are alot of potential ideas here were lack of sleep could show memory loss. I could explore the dream world as part of this. There is an amazing film i recently watched called 'The Science of Sleep' which explores dream states. I this things happen in the real world as he is dreaming, but when he wakes up he is sometimes unsure of what is or isn't the truth. He cant quite remember if what happened did happen.

taken from www.allocine.co.uk


Another thing I thought was interesting was this idea of repertition in order to remember something. I thought about graffitti to be honest when I read this. The idea that someone 'bombs the system' with there personal tag as so many people see it many times. The tagger would then hold this to be imbedded in the minds of the viewers.

taken from a graffiti movie called 'Friendly Fire 2'