What Is the Nature of Memory?

What is Memory?

Memory is the process of retaining information over time. It occurs in three different phases (or stages). The first phase of memory is called Memory Encoding. It is the process of getting, or taking in, information. The second phase of memory is called Memory Storage. It is the process of keeping encoded information intact. Lastly, the third phase of memory is called Memory Retrieval. It is the process of remembering stored information as outputs. The quality and quantity of retrieved information are significant factors used to evaluate the strength of a person's memory.

The importance of memory, perhaps, lies in how much we depend on it for us to carry out our daily tasks. For example, it takes a lot of experience and information about physical dimensions in order to wash the dishes. Additionally, it takes a lot of language exposure and vocabulary to follow instructions from your mother. Looking at memory this way, it is amazing how much information we actually take in every day. For example, in a single day, you must have retained information about what you did, why you did them, whom you talked to, where you went, what clothes you wore, and even how you carried out certain activities. Additionally, you might have picked up a few concepts, names, or even dates, from a book chapter you just read.

Glitches in Memory

The way we encode, store, and retrieve information from memory is indeed remarkable, but memory is not without its imperfections. It is not uncommon for us to see people arguing about whether something really did happen, with both of them equally confident about their memories. This kind of setting can escalate into more serious cases, like in legal trials, where witnesses make conflicting statements on similar events, assuming that those testimonies were true. In a simpler case, note how often you get frustrated about forgetting some simple facts, like names of certain people and places.

The Scientific Study of Memory

The study of memory was only speculative at first. Scientists dismissed the study of memory because they thought that the subjective nature of memory prevents it from conforming to the rigidity of science. However, contemporary psychologists are starting to recognize the subjective nature of memory, investigating such phenomena as memory reconstruction, memory distortion, memory invention, forgetting, and the influence of emotions on memory. Santrock (2003) concludes that our impressions of reality are not always judgment-free.