Memory Free Essays

Three participants ages 19, 19, and 20 were asked to listen to three lists of words whose contents ranged from low to high association. The low-association list was defined by words that had no particular relation to each other. Conversely, the high-association list was characterized by words that had very close relationships with each other, whereas the in-between list of medium association contained words among which loose relationships existed. We will write a custom essay sample on Memory or any similar topic only for you Order Now Each list contained ten words. The three lists were read to each participant in a slow and systematic way, leaving an interval of approximately one second between the calling of each word. Each participant was then given a minute to write down as many words as they could recall. The average number of words remembered from the low-association list was three (3), which represents a low level of recall for short term memory. This is consistent with the idea that the brain employs a short-term memory system that is able to hold limited information, and this can be done for only a short time without the aid of semantic prompters (Brown et al., 1985). The group of words on the low-association list contained almost no semantic prompters, as these words belonged to no specific category that could have been called up in the schema of the persons involved in the experiment.    As a result, the first few words called in each list allowed the participants no leeway to use schema as a mnemonic device for recalling them. Relying therefore only on short-term memory, the participants were able only to remember a small portion of the words. It is also important to note that those which were remembered were the ones located near the end of the list. This indicates that the effort to remember those later words nullified any earlier efforts made at memorization, and consequently removed the earlier words from the participants’ short-term memory. The second list of words containing a limited number of related words (medium association) showed a recall level for the participants of approximately six (6) words. The final two words on the list were recalled by two of the participants, and the other recalled the last word. However, the few words on the list that were related were universally recalled by the participants. The experiment apparently enabled them to make connections among the related words and to further connect them to a category in their schemata. This occurrence points to the tendency of the mind to categorize the information it receives, and the long-term memory of these participants appears to have been activated by associating the related words to their appropriate category. This categorization is most likely the factor that aided the short term memory of the participants, allowing them to recall a greater percentage of the words (almost twice as many) than they were able to recall from the first list. The third list contained words that were all highly related to each other. The experiment demonstrated even more the extent to which semantic categorization has the ability to aid short-term memory. The participants remembered an average of approximately nine (9) words on the list. This represents a vast increase over the previous two tries. This part of the experiment indicates the participants appeal to their long term memory as an aid in memorizing the contents of this list. For instance, despite the fact that the words on the low-association list were familiar words, their ability to remember them was compromised by the fact that they had no method of selecting them from all the other things that reside in their memories. Conversely, the fact that the words from the third experiment were all members of a particular category allowed these participants to use the taxonomic feature of long-term memory to aid recall in this memory experiment (Brown et al., 1985). The parallel trend of increased remembrance alongside increased association therefore underlines the importance of schema in the enhancement of memory. Reference Brown, A. S., S. L. Whiteman, R. J. Cattoi C. K. Bradley. (1985). â€Å"Associative strength level   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   and retrieval inhibition in semantic memory.† The American Journal of Psychology.    98(3):   421-432.    How to cite Memory, Essay examples Memory Free Essays emortMemory of Many Senses Senses are a very powerful thing in every person’s life no matter who you are you will be constantly using at least one of your senses. The sense of smell is one thing that not many people realize but it triggers memories in our brains and it can be a good or bad memory depending on the person. Fortunately for me most of the smells that strike memories for me are very good. We will write a custom essay sample on Memory or any similar topic only for you Order Now The memory that strikes me most when I get a certain smell is the feeling of being in the Dominican Republic. Whenever I get the sweet scent of a pineapple I just lay back and think about our vacation when my family and I went to the Caribbean. That sweet smell of a freshly cut pineapple is so sweet you can almost taste it even before you actually eat it. It is just the most amazing thing when there is a freshly picked and cut pineapple perfectly ripe right in front of you just waiting for you to grab some and sit near the beach and relax. Once I smell it I just picture seeing the beach and all of the people out tanning and the ocean splashing on the shore and just a happy and relaxing atmosphere. The thought of even being back in the Dominican makes me happy and relaxes me no matter how stressed that I am.  Like read about memories? Read also  Flashbulb memory! Seeing the ocean and the beach in my mind brings back the memory of being with my family and just enjoying life. The sound of the ocean waves crashing and flowing onto the sand is another thing that pops into my mind. Then while sitting on the beach while listening to the ocean I just take a bite of the sweet and juicy pineapple; it’s the best taste in the world. The senses are a strong part of your memory. They do wonderful things and also sometimes not so wonderful things for you to remember but in my case it turned out to be a wonderful memory. How to cite Memory, Papers