Processes in memory

• People rely on holding things in Short Term Memory (STM) as they work on them, and must be able to put new information into Long Term Memory (LTM) and later bring it back to mind.
• Memory is an active process, not like a box in the head where things are stored, but a process (or set of processes) that people engage in constantly.
• Memory involves encoding information, storing it for a period of time, and then retrieving it at a later date.
• Memory is used to complete tasks, solve problems and make sense of new information.
• Encoding means taking new information into memory, making it an input process.
• Storage is the process of maintaining information in temporary or permanent memory over time, avoiding forgetting or distortions.
• To maintain the memory in storage, it usually needs to be consolidated by regular revision.
• Sleep also helps information to be consolidated.
• Retrieval means accessing the stored information when you need it, and bringing it back to mind, making it the output process of memory.
• These processes typically refer to LTM, but the same processes happen in STM over a much shorter timescale.
• Storage is very limited and information must be retrieved quickly.
• Recognition is the process where the information or stimulus is repeated and the person compares it to what is in their memory.
• Cued recall means that the person gets a cue - a prompt or reminder of some kind.
• Retrieval can be difficult, often involving effort, and there is no guarantee that information which is stored in a person's mind will be successfully retrieved when needed.
• Free recall means that the stimulus is not present and there is no cue - the person retrieves the information directly from memory.

  Typically, this is the most difficult form of retrieval.
• • Memory is an active process, where a person is constantly trying to make sense of their surroundings and link them to prior memories
• • Information is only taken into memory if a person pays attention to it. This typically happens when they find things interesting or emotional in some way. Therefore, learning new information is also active.
• • STM is often called 'working memory' because it is used for active processing of information in everyday tasks
• • LTM is sometimes compared to recording a video. However, this misleadingly suggests that it happens fairly automatically and is retrieved in the same form as it was remembered. In fact, both encoding and retrieval involve mental effort, and the processes involved can cause the information to be changed.
• • Repetition is important for memory, as it provides more chances for information to be encoded. However, simply repeating things does not always cause them to be encoded to LTM, particularly if the information is hard to understand.
• • The best way to build a new memory is to link the new item to what is already understood, and then repeatedly retrieve it from memory, preferably in a way that is spaced out over time.