How memory works
Memory is not a recording; it is a process of encoding, storing, and rebuilding information.
Three processes
Encoding is getting information into memory, storage is keeping it, and retrieval is getting it back out. Information is encoded better when it is meaningful: thinking about what a word means (semantic encoding) works better than noticing how it looks or sounds. Connecting new information to yourself, the self-reference effect, helps even more.
The stages model
Atkinson and Shiffrin described sensory memory, which holds input for a fraction of a second; short-term memory, which holds a small amount, often about 7 plus or minus 2 items, for around 20 seconds without rehearsal; and long-term memory, which has a vast capacity. Working memory describes short-term memory as an active workspace for manipulating information.
Kinds of long-term memory
Explicit (declarative) memories are consciously recalled: episodic memories of personal events and semantic memories of facts. Implicit (non-declarative) memories are shown in behaviour without conscious recall, such as procedural skills like riding a bike, and the effects of priming.
Flashcard
Getting information into memory
Check your understanding
Remembering how to tie your shoes without thinking about the steps is an example of: