Learning and Memory
“Memory is of critical importance to our very existence.” James McGaugh, Ph.D.
How do we remember what we remember?
Like most of the brain’s processes, memory remains a bit of a mystery. However, neuroscientists have now learned that memories are made by changes to the brain’s synapses. As we learn new things and store them in memory, new synapses are formed or existing ones are strengthened. It’s there, in those pockets of space that memories reside.
Our memories are the things we learn from teaching and direct experience. They provide us with the knowledge required to recognized and perceive, to know ourselves and those around us, and, of course, to make those oh-so-important guesses about what’s coming so we can consider, compare, and navigate the complex environments outside our bodies.
It’s important to understand the difference between learning and memory. Learning is the act of committing those things to memory. Memory is what’s left after all the sophisticated neural signaling that underlies every thought, action, and perception takes place in the brain.
We often speak of memory as a single thing, when in fact, it’s a congregation of several complex processes.
Short-term memory holds information for only a few seconds to a few minutes. It allows us to understand information as we are encountering it and then discard it. This system is constantly updating, focused on the data we need at that particular moment in time.
Long-term memory: This includes information that we encounter often, or that is special or important in some manner, is encoded and consolidated, ready for retrieval as needed. The long-term memories are stored in an area of the brain called the hippocampus.
Types of memory: Short and long-term memories are distinct processes. But the brain also differentiates between the types of memories we form. There are two major types: explicit memories and implicit memories.
Explicit memories are ones we are consciously aware of and are easily communicated. There are two kinds of explicit memories: episodic and semantic.
Episodic memories are the things we experience (sights, smells, sounds) in the world we live in.
Semantic memories refer to general knowledge (facts, definitions, and concepts) that we are taught in our lives.
Example: you may hold a semantic memory of what you were taught the word “exhaustion” means. But you likely also have an episodic memory of a specific time when you actually experienced the concept firsthand.
Implicit memories are ones that we are not conscious of – yet they are also integral to enabling us to move about our surroundings. One of the most important types of implicit memory is called procedural memory. These memories are the automatic processes we can do without having to explicitly think about them – like picking up a cup and drinking, or even more complicated procedures such as driving a car.
How reliable is memory? Our memories are what makes each of us unique – and what helps us connect our interior and exterior environments. But they are far from literal depictions of the outside world. They are reconstructions that are reassembled from a variety of synapses in the brain. Memory is not fact. It is flexible and can change without you being conscious of it. Consequently, it allows us to adapt to whatever new situations we find ourselves in.
