Memory is one of the most important cognitive processes. It is difficult to overestimate its place in our life, because success in any depends on how quickly we remember and retain the necessary information for a long time. Wanting to improve our memory, make it more efficient and put it at our service, we do not always think about what kind of memory we need. After all, this phenomenon of our psyche manifests itself in different ways in different areas of our life.
Memory is not in vain referred to as cognitive processes. Like any process, memorization and preservation take time and have their own levels or stages, which are also considered as types of memory.
RAM
Although this type refers to the processes of memorization, it stands somewhat apart. Working memory serves human activity. Information at this level is not stored for long, but, most importantly, the brain does not consider it at all as one that needs to be memorized. Why? Because we need it exclusively for specific operations. For example, to understand a sentence, you need to store the meanings of the words read in memory. Sometimes, however, there are such long sentences that while you read to the end, you forget what happened at the beginning.
Working memory is superficial and short-lived, it is working memory. But it is necessary for successful activity, it can be developed and increased in volume. She trains exclusively in activity. So, reading, we gradually learn to understand more and more complex and long sentences largely due to the improvement of RAM. Good RAM is what sets professionals apart.
Sensory memory
This is the very first stage of the process of memorizing information, which can be called the physiological or reflex level. Sensory memory is associated with a very short retention of signals coming to the nerve cells of the sensory organs. The duration of information storage in the sensor memory is from 250 milliseconds to 4 seconds.
The best known and studied are two types of sensory memory:
- visual,
- auditory.
Moreover, sound images are stored for a little longer. This feature allows us to understand speech and listen to music. The fact that we perceive not separate sounds, but an integral melody is the merit of sensory memory. And the whole world sees a newborn child, whose sensory organs are not yet fully developed, as an accumulation of color spots. The ability to perceive the whole picture is also the result of the development of visual sensory memory.
The information that caught our attention is transferred from sensory memory to short-term memory. True, this is a very insignificant part of the signals received by our senses; most do not attract our attention. American inventor T. Edison wrote: "The brain of the average person does not perceive even a thousandth part of what the eye sees." And often memory problems are actually related to insufficient ability to concentrate.
Short-term memory
This is the first stage of processing the information intended for storage. Almost everything that attracts our attention enters the level of short-term memory, but it lingers there for a very short time - about 30 seconds. It is this time that the brain needs to start processing the received data and determine the degree of their need.
- The volume of short-term memory is also small - 5-7 unconnected elements: words, numbers, visual images, sounds, etc.
- At this level, the process of evaluating information takes place; the necessary one is duplicated, repeated, it has a chance to get into a longer storage.
For a longer preservation of information (but no more than 7 minutes), it is necessary to maintain focused attention, which is a signal of the need for information. A failure in the area of \u200b\u200battention leads to a phenomenon called substitution. It occurs when the flow of information entering the brain is large enough, and it does not have time to be processed in short-term memory. As a result, the newly received data is replaced with new ones and is irretrievably lost.
This situation occurs when preparing students for the exam, when trying to "swallow" the maximum amount of information in a limited period of time, the student prevents his brain from assimilating it normally. It is possible to prevent substitution, to keep a large amount of material in short-term memory for a longer period and to ensure its translation into long-term memory through conscious repetition and pronunciation. The longer information is stored in short-term memory, the more durable its memorization is.
Long-term memory
This is a warehouse of various data, which is characterized by almost indefinite storage and a huge volume. Sometimes, for example, a student complains before an exam that so many things are simply impossible to remember. And since there is too much information, her head is literally overflowing with her and no longer fits. But this is self-deception. We cannot retain information in long-term memory, not because there is no place there, but because we do not remember correctly.
The level of long-term memory receives and is stored for a long time only:
- involved in the activity;
- meaningful;
- processed information linked by semantic and associative links to the information already there.
The more a person knows, the easier he remembers the subsequent information, since the connections between the new and the already known are established faster.
The problem with storing data in long-term memory can be associated with other reasons. Information in long-term storage is not so easy to extract from there. The point is that long-term memory has two layers:
- The upper one is where frequently used knowledge is stored. It does not take effort to remember them, they seem to be always at hand.
- The lower level, which contains "closed" information that has not been used for a long time, therefore, is estimated by the brain as insignificant or unnecessary. To remember it requires efforts and special mnemonic (associated with memory processes) actions. The less often information is used, the deeper layers of long-term memory it is stored. Sometimes, to get to the bottom of it, drastic measures are required, for example, hypnosis, and sometimes some insignificant event is enough to cause a chain of associations.
But the variety of types of memory is not limited to the stages that differ in the duration of information retention.
Types of memory: what we remember
In our life, we are faced with the need to memorize very diverse information that comes to our brain through different channels and in different ways. Depending on what mental processes are involved, there are also types of memory.
Figurative memory
The largest amount of information in our memory is stored in the form of sensory images. We can say that all the senses work for our memory:
- visual receptors provide visual images, including information in the form of printed text;
- auditory - sounds, including music and human speech;
- tactile - tactile sensations;
- olfactory - smells;
- gustatory - various tastes.
Images in the brain begin to accumulate literally from birth. This type of memory is not only the largest repository of information, it can be distinguished by literally phenomenal accuracy. The so-called eidetic memory is known - photographically accurate, detailed memorization of images. The most studied cases of such memorization are in the visual field. Eidetics are extremely rare and usually have some mental abnormalities, for example:
- autism;
- schizophrenia;
- suicidal tendencies.
Motor or motor memory
This is a very ancient form of memorization that arose at the dawn of evolution. But memory for movements still plays a huge role, and not only in sports activities. So we go to the table, take a mug, pour tea into it, write something down in a notebook, talk - all these are movements, and they are impossible without motor memory. What can we say about the importance of motor skills in work or sports. It is impossible without motor memory:
- teaching children to write;
- mastering the skills of knitting, embroidery, drawing;
- even teaching babies to walk requires motor memory activity.
Emotional memory
Feeling memory is less noticeable in people's daily lives and seems less significant. But this is not the case. Our whole life is saturated with emotions, and without them it would have lost its meaning, and its attractiveness too. Best of all, of course, bright, emotionally colored events are remembered. But we are able to remember not only the bitterness of resentment or the fireworks of first love, but also the tenderness of communication with the mother, the joy of meeting friends or of the five received at school.
Emotional memory has a pronounced associative nature, that is, memories are activated in the process of establishing a connection - an association with some phenomenon or event. Often, some insignificant detail is enough for us to once again be gushed with a waterfall of feelings that we once experienced. True, feelings-memories never reach the strength and energy that was inherent in them for the first time.
Emotional memory is also important because emotionally colored information associated with vivid feelings is best remembered and stored longer.
Verbal and logical memory
This type of memory is considered exclusively human. Pet lovers might argue that animals like dogs and cats can memorize words well too. Yes it is. But words for them are simply combinations of sounds associated with one or another visual, auditory, olfactory way. In humans, the verbal-logical memory has a semantic, conscious character.
That is, we remember words and their combinations not as sound images, but as some meanings. And a vivid example of such semantic memorization is the story of A. P. Chekhov "The Horse Family". In it, a person remembered the surname by meaning, and then recalled this "horse" surname for a long time. And she turned out to be Ovsov. That is, it was the associative-semantic memorization that worked.
By the way, verbal-logical memory works better when you need to remember not separate words, but their meaningful constructions - sentences combined into a text that has a more detailed meaning. Verbal-logical memory is not only the youngest species, but also requires a conscious, purposeful development, that is, associated with memorization techniques and voluntary mental activity.
Types of memory: how we remember
The abundance of information entering the brain requires sorting it, and not everything that we receive through the sensory channels is remembered by itself. It happens that it takes effort to memorize. Depending on the degree of mental activity, memory is divided into involuntary and voluntary.
Involuntary memory
The dream of every schoolchild and student is that knowledge will be remembered by itself without any effort. Indeed, a lot of information is remembered in this way - involuntarily, that is, without volitional efforts. But for the mechanism of involuntary memory to turn on, an important condition is necessary. It is involuntarily remembered that which attracted our involuntary attention:
- bright, strong and unusual information (loud sounds, strong flashes, fantastic pictures);
- vital information (situations associated with a threat to the life and health of the person himself and his loved ones, important, key events in life, etc.);
- data related to interests, hobbies and needs of a person;
- emotionally colored information;
- something that is directly related to professional or is included in labor, creative activity.
Other information is not stored by itself, unless the smart student can captivate himself and become interested in the educational material. Then you will have to make a minimum of effort to memorize it.
Arbitrary memory
Any training, be it schoolwork or mastering a professional activity, contains not only vivid, fascinating information, but also simply necessary. It is necessary, though not very interesting, and should be remembered. This is what arbitrary memory is for.
This is not only and even not so much a simple conviction of oneself that "this must be kept in your head." Voluntary memory is, first of all, special memorization techniques. They are also called the techniques of mnemonics after the ancient Greek muse of memory Mnemosyne.
The first techniques of mnemonics were developed in Ancient Greece, but they are still effectively used, and many new techniques have been created that make it easier to memorize complex information. Unfortunately, most people are not very familiar with them and just use multiple repetitions of information. This is, of course, the simplest, but also the least effective memorization technique. Up to 60% of information is lost in it, and it takes a lot of effort and time.
You got acquainted with the main types of memory that psychology studies and which are of fundamental importance in human life, in mastering knowledge and professional skills. But in various fields of science, one can also meet with other types of this mental process. For example, there are genetic, autobiographical, reconstructive, reproductive, episodic and other types of memory.
In psychology, it is often said about human memory, and even several types of it are distinguished. Visual, auditory and tactile, sensory, short-term, long-term and many other types of memory, which have very different classifications. Each of them has its own importance for a person, as well as ways of effective development. However, this article will focus on only one form, which is figurative memory. This is a very interesting species, which may surprise many, since it is rather atypical. Every person has a figurative memory, and it plays a very important role. If you want to know what this role is, as well as what features this memory has, how it appears and how it can be developed, then this article is for you. Figurative memory is a very interesting topic to study that will allow you to better understand how your brain works.
What it is?
First you need to figure out what this type of memory is. Figurative memory is a type of memory, as a result of which a person remembers information not in text form, but in the form of images. Most often, these are some pictures, images and other similar memories that are displayed in your head not in words using your inner voice, but in an image. That is why this type of memory is very interesting, because images cannot be measured, like words, respectively, this type of memory is much more unusual than the standard memory that every person uses on a daily basis. Well, now you understand that figurative memory is a type of memory in which recall occurs with the help of images, that is, some images that remain in your brain.
What does it give you?
Many people immediately start to think about what the figurative memory gives, because it seems to them that verbal information is much more important. However, this is far from the case, and now you will understand why. The fact is that the human brain has two hemispheres, each of which is responsible for its own type of perception. The left hemisphere is responsible for processing and memorizing verbal information, which is considered by many people to be the only important one, and the right hemisphere is responsible for memorizing the images that these words describe. But why do we need these images in memory, if only words can describe everything in detail? Everything is not as simple as it might seem, and many children of the current generation are the prime example. The fact is that the present century is called informational for a reason: people receive incredible amounts of information from a huge number of sources. Sites on the Internet, advertisements on public transport, everywhere you get information that saturates the left hemisphere of your brain, but the right hemisphere does not receive the corresponding data, that is, images that it could process and use in conjunction with the data of the left hemisphere. The result is a serious imbalance that increases attention deficits and absent-mindedness, which are most common in young children. To avoid this, it is necessary to develop the right hemisphere, and for this there is far from one technique. Figurative memory is very important, and that is why this article will talk about exactly how it can be developed.
How to develop figurative memory?
As mentioned earlier, there is far from one technique. Figurative memory develops quite easily and without much effort, because the process of memorizing images is natural for a person. Images and textual information add up to an excellent memory that everyone should have, but if your brain is overflowing with data without images attached to it, then you can easily get confused in this data, so all of your memory will be virtually useless. Accordingly, it is imperative to develop figurative memory, and the sooner you understand this, the better. Figurative memory develops best in children, since it is in them that it is initially very well developed. It's just that over time, people begin to rely more on textual rather than figurative information, so they gradually lose the power of this type of memory.
Imaginative thinking, figurative memory is something that every person needs to develop, and this should be done by using all the senses in obtaining information and, accordingly, sources of information. So, the average person just reads the text or listens to it, it settles in his head and, quite possibly, is forgotten very quickly, even if it is important information. Why? The thing is that he does not have an anchor that would allow him to gain a foothold. Memorizing purely textual information in school and university is called cramming - you simply memorize words in a specific order to reproduce them in the same order. But do you remember any of the things you learned in school? Hardly.
But if images are used, which are obtained by attaching certain data to text information, such as images, sounds, smells, and so on, then you will be able to memorize much easier. Accordingly, all you need to do is constantly use all your senses and try to control the memorization process so that you memorize not only the text, but also the images associated with it.
Features of figurative memory
There are some things about figurative memory that you should be aware of. The fact is that in most cases it is temporary and the images persist for about a day. Naturally, if you need specific information, then you can store it in your own brain for a long time, however, so that your brain does not overflow with images, it cleans itself of what has not been requested for more than 24 hours. It also turns out that this memory operates on an unconscious level, that is, most of the images are recorded in your brain when it comes into your field of vision. That is why many people believe that this type of memory is visual figurative memory. But in fairness, it should be noted that images can be sound, tactile, and olfactory, although they are much less common.
If we return to the duration of storing information of figurative memory, then one more characteristic comes to light: the more the image is stored in your brain, the paler it becomes and, accordingly, the more difficult it is for you to remember it in detail.
Fading images
It is impossible to demonstrate clearly what it is. Figurative memory is an abstract concept, and all processes occur in your brain, but it is quite possible to describe what it is. So, imagine you are riding public transport during the day. Returning home, you remember that you saw a woman in a blue coat, she was sitting next to you. At this point, you may remember other details as well, such as her hair color, her facial features, the accessories she was wearing, and so on. But if you don’t think about it for at least a day, then the next day you will hardly remember those details that seemed obvious to you yesterday. What can we say about what will happen in a week or a month. Figurative memory differs in that the images that are stored in the brain become pale, indistinct over time. They are volatile and may be fragmented. For example, in a month you will forget what the girl was wearing in principle, but the earrings that she wore then will be imprinted in your brain. And of course, it is worth noting that each image can deceptively change over time, and after a month it may seem to you that the girl was in a green coat, although in fact she was in blue. This is explained by the fact that it is easier for human consciousness to create something new to replace the lost element of the image, than to spend energy to remember this element.
When does figurative perception appear?
The development of figurative memory is something that every person should think about. And as mentioned earlier, it is worth doing it as soon as possible. However, when exactly does a person have imaginative perception and, accordingly, figurative memory? You may be surprised, but the figurative memory of a person appears only in one and a half to two years, that is, quite late. It is then that the child's brain begins to perceive the phenomena of the surrounding world not just as phenomena, but as information that can be recorded. It was then that concepts, accompanied by images, begin to accumulate in his brain with great speed, as a result of which memory is formed. Then the child gets the opportunity to independently build logical chains, linking the concept with the image.
Why is it necessary to develop figurative memory from early childhood? Many parents believe that this is an unnecessary process and the child needs to concentrate on concrete concepts, and not on abstract images. However, this is a big mistake, because figurative memory is often called the foundation of all memorization processes. Without it, the memorization process will not be complete, and if it is poorly developed, then the person's memory will be very bad. Accordingly, the development of imaginative thinking is one of the important steps towards the formation of a full-fledged personality that can function in the modern world.
Types of figurative memory
Psychologists often highlight certain types of this memory, which you should also familiarize yourself with. Naturally, as you most likely guessed, the most famous is visual memory, because it is visual images that take up the largest amount of memory, they are the most detailed, and it is on them that you most often rely when trying to remember something. But there are also other types that are no less important, although they are used a little less often. The types of figurative memory include auditory, tactile, gustatory and olfactory, that is, those that correspond to a specific sense organ. Accordingly, all the sound images that are in your head, that is, the song that you heard on the subway, or the slogan that came to your ears from the loudspeaker, refers to the auditory figurative memory. The same applies to other types of memory, which were mentioned above.
Photographic memory
As you have already learned, any memory associated with the sense organs belongs to figurative memory, since all such information does not come in the form of concrete data, but in the form of abstract images. But at the same time, I would like to single out the photographic memory, which, most likely, every person has heard about.
Photographic memory is a subspecies of visual figurative memory, but it is distinguished by its incredible detail, unusual for most people, and a complete absence of pallor and the presence of clarity. What does it mean? Imagine how figurative memory works, it was described above. You look at an object, and your brain takes a "picture" of that object, recording it in the brain. But this image is initially blurry, and you can hardly see all the details on it to reproduce them. If you have a photographic memory, then your brain can take perfect pictures that you can store for a long time without any loss in quality. Naturally, every person would like to have a photographic memory, however, given the fact that many parents do not seek to develop a figurative memory in children, and also do not develop their own memory themselves, this concept is now perceived more as a phenomenon than as something, to what you can strive for and what you can achieve. But in reality this is not the case, and you can independently change the order of the existing things.
Workouts
You can independently influence how developed your figurative memory is, even if your parents did not pay special attention to this in childhood. To do this, you need to do daily workouts that will allow you to better remember images. How to do it? You need to memorize various images and then reproduce them. Exercises can be very diverse. For example, it can be a series of pictures that you need to look at and remember exactly the images, and not try to come up with word associations. Then you need to reproduce the order of these images. You can also memorize a picture and then try to reproduce as many details as possible. There are many different games that involve memory, so that can help you too, and photographic memory may soon seem like a far from unattainable phenomenon.
Now that you know everything about figurative memory, you can start training. And finally, one interesting fact is prepared for you. Just like the senses sharpen their action when one of them is lost (blind people hear and smell much better), figurative memory compensates for the lack of information, replacing it with other images.
For millions of years, man has lived in the wild. Life itself depended on the state of his signaling system: sight, hearing, touch, taste, smell. The feeling of constant readiness for a dangerous situation organized thinking, reaction, attention, memory in its own way. After all, this is a storehouse of experience experienced by a person and something valuable to him. The unnecessary was forgotten quickly and without a trace. How did the best form of memorization come about? It is quite simple and familiar, and therefore the most economical: memory for sounds, smells, colors, etc. Moreover, the memory is bright, clear - a person lived by this. Thus, in the process of natural selection, a person has developed a figurative memory. Now such a memory is preserved only among preschoolers.
Using figurative memory, a person reproduces what he perceives not in words, but in images, i.e. continues to see them, and already works with them as he wants: either cheats, or reads. “Well, let's say,” skeptics will say, “your figurative memory is a good thing. But it is also developed in animals. A person began to turn into a person with the development of another type of memory - abstract, verbal. Under completely different conditions. Words can express all the same and many other things that cannot be conveyed in the images of a concrete world. How to convey without words the most complex philosophical, moral and other categories? Why stir up a revived animal in a person, when there is a whole science of verbal memory - mnemonics? "
Well, what can you answer to that? The ancients said: "A spoken thought is a lie." Everyone is familiar with the state of enlightenment, when it seems that you understand everything to such depths ... everything is available to your thought ... such sharpness and clarity of imagination ... And how pale and dull all this looks when you translate it into words. It's easy to imagine a fork, but try to describe it in words. The simplicity is seeming here. First you need to perceive, then understand, then - choose the words. Not everyone is able to describe something well, but in the imagination everyone is brilliant. Everybody dreams, and this is an inner work of art. And already for the description it is necessary to select mnemotechnical supports that will allow you to remember what is not entirely clear. Therefore, mnemonists introduce elements of figurative memory, saying that first it is necessary to understand the meaning. A person with verbal memory falls into a vicious circle. To improve memory, you need to study and train all the time: in order to learn, you need memory. Consider that all this load falls on three percent of the brain. Is it any wonder that by the age of twenty-five, verbal memory is overflowing with perceived information - mostly unnecessary - and the ability to memorize new things drops sharply. And with it all the abilities useless without memory go away. The person stops learning. And idleness finishes even what he has left.
The mechanism of figurative memory is completely opposite. At first, a person indifferently perceives what (events, numbers, letters, words) through the aforementioned enlightenment, translated not into a small circle of knowledge, expressed by a small stock of words, but into that unlimited supply of images that the world around us generously supplies us. Abstract (verbal) thinking is a schema. And images are inserted into it like pages in a book. They last as long as necessary. When necessary, they stand in front of the mind's eye. And if this is so, then our abstract thinking is free and can do whatever it wants with the images being turned over: use it when passing exams, amend the scheme, think out any missing details. Memorized images before your eyes, and you can translate them into any language: Russian, English, German, formulas, symbols, etc.
There are several basic approaches to memory classification. At present, it is customary to consider the dependence of memory characteristics on the characteristics of memorization and reproduction as the most general basis for the allocation of various types of memory. In this case, certain types of memory are isolated in accordance with three main criteria: 1) by the nature of mental activity prevailing in activity, memory is divided into motor, emotional, figurative and verbal-logical; 2) by the nature of the goals of the activity - into involuntary and arbitrary; 3) according to the duration of consolidation and preservation of the material (in connection with its role and place in the activity) - into short-term, long-term and operational (Fig. 3).
Figure: 3. Classification of the main types of memory
The classification of types of memory by the nature of mental activity was first proposed by P.P. Blonsky. Although all four types of memory allocated to him (motor, emotional, figurative and verbal-logical) do not exist independently of each other, and moreover, they are in close interaction, Blonsky was able to determine the differences between individual types of memory.
Consider the characteristics of these four types of memory.
Motor (or motor) memory is memorization, preservation and reproduction of various movements. Motor memory is the basis for the formation of various practical and work skills, as well as the skills of walking, writing, etc. Without memory for movements, we would have to learn to carry out appropriate actions every time. True, when reproducing movements, we do not always repeat them exactly in the same form as before. There is undoubtedly a certain variability in them, a deviation from the initial movements. But the general character of the movements is still preserved. For example, such stability of movements, regardless of the circumstances, is characteristic of the movements of writing (handwriting) or some of our motor habits: how we give our hand when greeting our friend, how we use cutlery, etc.
The movements are most accurately reproduced in the conditions in which they were performed earlier. In completely new, unusual conditions, we often reproduce movements with great imperfection. It is not difficult to repeat the movements if we are accustomed to performing them using a certain instrument or with the help of some specific people, but in the new conditions we were deprived of this opportunity. It is also very difficult to repeat movements if they were previously part of some complex action, but now they need to be reproduced separately. All this is explained by the fact that the movements are reproduced by us not in isolation from what they were previously associated with, but only on the basis of previously formed connections.
Motor memory develops very early in a child. Its first manifestations refer to the first month of life. Initially, it is expressed only in motor conditioned reflexes, which are already developed in children at this time. In the future, memorizing and reproducing movements begin to take on a conscious character, closely associated with the processes of thinking, will, etc. It should be especially noted that by the end of the first year of life, motor memory in a child reaches such a level of development that is necessary for mastering speech.
It should be noted that the development of motor memory is not limited to the period of infancy or the first years of life. Memory development also occurs at a later time. Thus, the motor memory in preschool children reaches a level of development that allows them to perform finely coordinated actions related to the acquisition of written language. Therefore, at different stages of development, the manifestations of motor memory are qualitatively heterogeneous.
Emotional memory is a memory for feelings. This type of memory lies in our ability to remember and reproduce feelings. Emotions always signal how our needs and interests are being met, how our relationships with the outside world are being implemented. Therefore, emotional memory is very important in the life and work of every person. Feelings experienced and stored in memory act as signals, either prompting to action, or holding back from actions that caused negative experiences in the past.
It should be noted that the reproduced, or secondary, feelings can differ significantly from the original ones. This can be expressed both in a change in the strength of feelings, and in a change in their content and character.
In strength, the reproduced feeling can be weaker or stronger than the primary one. For example, grief is replaced by sadness, and delight or intense joy is replaced by calm satisfaction; in another case, the resentment suffered earlier intensifies with the recollection of it, and anger intensifies.
Substantial changes can also occur in the content of our feelings. For example, what was previously experienced by us as an annoying misunderstanding, over time can be reproduced as a funny incident, or the event that was spoiled by minor troubles, over time begins to be remembered as very pleasant.
The first manifestations of memory in a child are observed by the end of the first six months of life. At this time, the child can rejoice or cry at the mere sight of what previously gave him pleasure or pain. However, the initial manifestations of emotional memory differ significantly from later ones. This difference lies in the fact that, if at the early stages of a child's development, emotional memory is conditioned reflex in nature, then at higher stages of development, emotional memory is conscious.
Figurative memory - this is a memory for ideas, pictures of nature and life, as well as for sounds, smells, tastes, etc. The essence of figurative memory is that what was perceived earlier is then reproduced in the form of ideas. When characterizing figurative memory, one should keep in mind all those features that are characteristic of representations, and above all their pallor, fragmentation and instability. These characteristics are inherent in this type of memory, so the reproduction of what was perceived before often diverges from its original. Moreover, over time, these differences can deepen significantly.
The deviation of representations from the original image of perception can go along two paths: mixing of images or differentiation of images. In the first case, the image of perception loses its specific features, and what is in common that the object has with other similar objects or phenomena comes to the fore. In the second case, the features characteristic of a given image are enhanced in memory, emphasizing the originality of the object or phenomenon.
Special attention should be paid to the question of what determines the ease of image reproduction. Answering this question, two main factors can be distinguished. First, the character of reproduction is influenced by the content features of the image, the emotional coloring of the image and the general state of a person at the moment of perception. So, a strong emotional shock can even cause a hallucinatory reproduction of what was seen. Secondly, the ease of reproduction largely depends on the state of the person at the time of reproduction. The recollection of what was seen is observed in a vivid figurative form most often during a quiet rest after severe fatigue, as well as in a drowsy state preceding sleep.
The fidelity of reproduction is largely determined by the degree to which speech is involved in perception. That which was named upon perception, described by a word, is reproduced more accurately.
It should be noted that many researchers divide figurative memory into visual, auditory, tactile, olfactory, and gustatory. Such a division is associated with the predominance of one or another type of reproduced ideas.
Figurative memory begins to appear in children at about the same time as representations, that is, at one and a half to two years. If visual and auditory memory is usually well developed and play a leading role in people's lives, then tactile, olfactory and gustatory memory in a sense can be called professional types of memory. Like the corresponding sensations, these types of memory develop especially intensively in connection with specific conditions of activity, reaching an amazingly high level in conditions of compensation or replacement of missing types of memory, for example, in the blind, deaf, etc.
Verbal and logical memory expressed in memorizing and recalling our thoughts. We remember and reproduce the thoughts that have arisen in the process of deliberation, reflection, remember the content of a book read, a conversation with friends.
A feature of this type of memory is that thoughts do not exist without language, therefore, memory for them is called not just logical, but verbal-logical. In this case, verbal-logical memory manifests itself in two cases: a) only the meaning of the given material is remembered and reproduced, and the exact preservation of the original expressions is not required; b) not only the meaning is remembered, but also the literal verbal expression of thoughts (memorizing thoughts). If in the latter case the material is not subjected to semantic processing at all, then literal memorization is no longer logical, but mechanical memorization.
Both of these types of memory may not coincide with each other. For example, there are people who remember the meaning of what they read well, but cannot always memorize the material accurately and firmly, and people who can easily memorize it, but cannot reproduce the text in their own words.
The development of both types of verbal-logical memory also does not occur parallel to each other. Memorization in children sometimes proceeds with greater ease than in adults. At the same time, adults, on the contrary, have significant advantages over children in memorizing meaning. This is due to the fact that when memorizing the meaning, first of all, what is memorized is the most essential, the most significant. In this case, it is obvious that the selection of the essential in the material depends on the understanding of the material, so adults remember the meaning more easily than children. Conversely, children can easily remember details, but they remember the meaning much worse.
In verbal-logical memory, the main role is assigned to the second signal system, since verbal-logical memory is a specifically human memory, in contrast to motor, emotional and figurative memory, which in the simplest forms are also characteristic of animals. Relying on the development of other types of memory, verbal-logical memory becomes leading in relation to them, and the development of all other types of memory largely depends on the level of its development.
We have already said that all types of memory are closely related to each other and do not exist independently of each other. For example, when we master any motor activity, we rely not only on motor memory, but also on all its other types, since in the process of mastering the activity we remember not only movements, but also the explanations given to us, our experiences and impressions. Therefore, in each specific process, all types of memory are interconnected.
There is, however, a division of memory into types that is directly related to the characteristics of the activity itself. So, depending on the goals of the activity, memory is divided into involuntary and arbitrary ... In the first case, we mean memorization and reproduction, which is carried out automatically, without volitional efforts of a person, without control from the side of consciousness. At the same time, there is no special purpose to remember or remember something, that is, there is no special mnemonic task. In the second case, such a task is present, and the process itself requires a volitional effort.
Involuntary memorization is not necessarily weaker than voluntary memorization. On the contrary, it often happens that involuntarily memorized material is reproduced better than material that was specially memorized. For example, an involuntarily heard phrase or perceived visual information is often remembered more reliably than if we were trying to remember it on purpose. The material that is in the center of attention is involuntarily memorized, and especially when a certain mental work is associated with it.
There is also division of memory into short-term and long-term ... Short-term memory is a type of memory characterized by a very short retention of perceived information. From one point of view, short-term memory is somewhat similar to involuntary memory. As in the case of involuntary memory, special mnemonic techniques are not used in short-term memory. But unlike involuntary, with short-term memory for memorization, we make certain volitional efforts.
A manifestation of short-term memory is the case when the subject is asked to read the words or given very little time to memorize them (about one minute), and then asked to immediately reproduce what he memorized. Naturally, people differ in the number of words they memorize. This is because they have different amounts of short-term memory.
The amount of short-term memory is individual. It characterizes the natural memory of a person and is preserved, as a rule, throughout life. The volume of short-term memory characterizes the ability to memorize perceived information mechanically, that is, without the use of special techniques.
Short-term memory plays a very important role in human life. Thanks to it, a significant amount of information is processed, unnecessary is immediately eliminated and potentially useful remains. As a result, long-term memory is not overloaded. In general, short-term memory is of great importance for organizing thinking, and in this it is very similar to working memory.
The concept rAM denote mnemonic processes serving directly performed by a person actual actions, operations. When we perform any complex action, such as arithmetic, then we carry it out in parts. At the same time, we keep "in mind" some intermediate results as long as we deal with them. As you move towards the end result, a particular “waste” material may be forgotten. We observe a similar phenomenon when performing any more or less complex action. The parts of the material that a person operates on may be different (for example, the child begins to read by folding letters). The volume of these parts, the so-called operational memory units, significantly affects the success of a particular activity. Therefore, the formation of optimal operational memory units is of great importance for memorizing material.
Normal functioning of long-term memory is impossible without good short-term memory. In the latter, only what was once in short-term memory can penetrate and be deposited for a long time, therefore short-term memory acts as a kind of buffer that passes only the necessary, already selected information into long-term memory. At the same time, the transition of information from short-term to long-term memory is associated with a number of features. So, the last five or six units of information received through the senses mainly fall into short-term memory. Translation from short-term memory into long-term memory is carried out through volitional effort. Moreover, much more information can be transferred into long-term memory than the individual volume of short-term memory allows. This is accomplished by repeating material to be memorized. As a result, there is an increase in the total volume of memorized material.
Many people do not know how the human brain works, because they are simply not interested. Meanwhile, everyone gets the initial knowledge about this at school, and then at the institute. Many people simply do not know what possibilities the human brain conceals and what properties remain hidden in it. After graduating from school and institute, most people try to implement the knowledge gained in their work. However, some people easily remember almost all the material studied for many years, while others are not able to repeat even 10% of the material covered after a couple of weeks. Why is this happening? This is due to the fact that it is necessary to train short-term memory constantly. However, if a person has never done this, and he urgently needs to learn something, then problems with memorization may arise due to lack of training. The degree of memorization depends on the training method, so it is important to choose the right training method correctly.
You can do it like this:
An hour after studying the material, you need to try to repeat it, spending no more than 10 minutes. What is remembered will be well stored in memory for about a day. After a day, it is advisable to repeat what was learned again in 2-4 minutes and then it will be stored in memory for another week. After that, you will need another repetition of the material covered, but in a couple of minutes. Another repetition can be done after 30 days. Such study of the material guarantees its memorization for a long period of time, because the information will be deposited in the long-term storage of the brain and will be reproduced at the level of consciousness. This rather magical property of the brain guarantees access to everything learned at any time, such as knowing your address or phone number that people always remember.
You can become a genius by learning special methods of memory training
It is important to note that all repetitions can be made from a record, in which all defects and corrections are corrected, because this information is deposited in the long-term storage of the brain and must be accurate and reliable so as not to harm it when used in the future. It is also important to understand that if during the first repetition, which is allotted for 10 minutes, you can still peep in a textbook or notebook, then with subsequent repetitions, the possibility of peeping in the notes is excluded. It is recommended to write down what you remember on a blank sheet, and then compare with the original, analyze and draw conclusions. Then fix the mistakes and try to remember with the additions. The best option would be to take note-taking in the form of a mind map, which is very beneficial for the abilities of the brain.
Memory properties have some peculiarities and subtleties
It should be noted that the collective nature of the study and sequential repetition of information gives the most positive effect of memorization. Without doing the listed exercises for repeating what has been learned, soon all information will be forgotten by 95%, and the time spent on gaining knowledge will be empty. This will lead to the development of complexes in a person due to his poor ability to remember. Cramming, so popular among students, most often does not give a positive effect. The positive property of repetition of information is that a person not only remembers a large amount of information, but also begins to understand the properties of his memory. This leads to the fact that it becomes easier for the brain to make many associations that contribute to a significant improvement in memory. Therefore, a large amount of information studied by a person leads to the fact that it becomes easier for him to remember.
A person is endowed with figurative memory from birth
According to research by scientists, it is known that people are born with excellent figurative memory, but later they are retrained, forcing them to memorize and repeat words. Before people mastered writing, they remembered events only visually, by ear, with the help of touch, smell and taste. People who constantly visualize and imagine events are able to recall the events in more detail, however, if they often train and develop their abilities. Having heard information once, a person is able to perceive and remember no more than 35%. When he reads what he has heard, half of the information he has learned will be deposited in his memory. Well, if you use all the senses and types of memory, it is likely that a person will be able to immediately perceive and remember everything he heard.
Figurative memory is divided into:
- visual, which is deposited in a person with the help of pictures, images, text;
- auditory, perceiving with the help of various sounds (songs, water noise, bird chirping, etc.);
- gustatory preserves the taste of products;
- olfactory, when people reproduce some events in life associated with the familiar smell of a fire, perfume, etc.;
- tactile remembers touches to the surface (hot battery, soft kitten, pain from impact, etc.).
You can develop figurative memory with the help of some exercises:
- Memorize the sequence of placed figures by associating them with something.
- Try to memorize a sentence by making a story using each word from it.
- You can remember foreign words by comparing them in sound with the Russian ones and endowing them in a certain way.
- Draw only bright pictures in your imagination, play with images. You can remember a historical date by drawing a vivid picture of what happened in your imagination.
By comparing certain sensations with the events taking place, it is also possible to train a figurative memory and remember what happened in all the details. The method of training figurative memory is to involve both hemispheres of the brain in the work, which will allow you to perceive what is happening with all the senses. With regular exercise, you can develop an excellent figurative memory. It is possible to start the development and improvement of all types of memory in children after 3 years.
