Introduction
The ability to recall is a crucial activity that occurs in our minds. Memory plays a significant role in adapting to various environments and learning. Without the recalling capabilities, humans would not be able to evolve as no new information would be gained. The memory is divided into three main categories which include the sensory, short-term, and long-term memory. These sections are also divided into subsections that work together as a unit.
The Sensory mind is concerned with the initial processing and storing of data that has been obtained through the five senses, but the information is temporarily held for a subtle period before it is replaced with a new set of data (Lane, Ryan, Nadel, " Greenberge, 2015). In this regard, the paper will focus on the long and short-term memory because the processes that occur within this categories can illustrate the various interconnections and relations between the different parts of the mind (Baddeley, 1990).
Long-Term Memory
An incoming piece of information is taken through a process referred to as consolidation where data is stored in different retention systems. The hierarchical subsections of the permanent memory are defined by the differences in the various types of information stored permanently in the memory and the different routes to storage. According to the taxonomy developed by cognitive neuroscientists, the top level of this hierarchical system comprises of the divide between the non-declarative or implicit memory and explicit or declarative memory. The former refers to the data whose learning is only realized by the changes in the future behaviour due to the previous experience without conscious remembrance (Carlson, 2013). The latter refers to the information that is consciously identified as data that has been experienced or learned.
The pieces of information that are classified as declarative comprises of facts or knowledge about the universe referred to as the semantic memory and the recollection of personal experiences is known as episodic memory (McKoon, Ratcliff, " Dell, 1986). Despite the advancements made in the study of the human mind, the precise location of the stored data is unknown. However, some scientists have suggested that there is a high possibility that the factual information may be located in the temporal cortex while the perceptual memories of events may be represented in the various cortical sites (Hogenboom, 2013). Both the episodic and semantic memory require part of the temporal lobe system for their learning (Noel, Dumez, Recher, Luyat, " Dujardin, 2014).
Implicit Memory (IM)
The implicit memory comprises of a collection of various memories that are of different types which are usually preserved in the brain if there is a loss of the declarative memory ability. The multiple IM systems depend entirely on various structures of the brain and are distinctively different from one another. They include priming, procedural memory, and classical conditioning. Research suggests that the procedural memory (PM) is dependent on the basal ganglia and in particular, the caudate nucleus part of the memory but independent of the mesial temporal lobe and hippocampal formation (Craik " Lockhart, 1972). The PM is usually subdivided further into two subtypes that seem to rely on the integrity of similar systems of the brain although, on the surface, they appear to differ. The two categories include the reference or cognitive skills memory and the motor skills memory.
The different sub-sections of the memory interact with each other where some of their functions overlap while others are mutually exclusive. Memory process involving the recollection of an event such as skipping a rope or throwing a ball consists of a variety of different memory structures. For instance, if a person has just learned how to jump a line today, he will remember that action tomorrow if his episodic memory is functioning well (Moscovitch, Cabeza, Winocur, " Nadel, 2016). However if the individual suffers from hippocampal damage, he will lose his explicit memory of the event, but his enhanced capability of skipping the rope can be attributed to the intact motor skill memory that ensures that her recollection of the experience is still present in mind (Kesner, 2013).
Skill memory refers to the memory of procedures needed to solve a problem or win a game. This type of PM does not depend on explicit declarative memory to develop a recollection of the rules of the game but instead refers to the acquisition of strategies that are successful in completing the gaming task. Therefore, it can be concluded that the explicit memory is not required when solving difficult cognitive assignments but rather a repeated exposure to rules and particular situations in the game can result in the desired solution (Madsen, 2016). According to a research on the gaming abilities of individuals, experimenters determined that more than 90% of people suffering from lesions on the medial temporal lobe can still improve their playing skills games such as chess and checkers without the ability to recall the experience of playing the game before (Gallistel " Matzel, 2013).
Short-Term Memory
Another name for this type of memory is the working memory. When perceptually encoded data is received at the sense organs, it is stored in an immediate working memory system that is subdivided into three subsystems that have different functions (Ofengenden, 2014). The executive network (EN) acts as the control while the “visuospatial sketchpad” and “articulatory or phonological loop” are the slave systems. The EN deals with the brain's attention, and the level of its capacity that relates to higher cognitive functioning can be accessed by testing the ability of an individual to perform activities that require dual processing.
The visuospatial sketchpad is tasked with storing and manipulating information that is related to colour, shape, orientation, and location (Trettenbrein, 2016). The operation of this part is aided by the occipital lobe that is concerned with visual perception and parietal lobe that is involved in special orienting. On the other hand, the phonological loop is used to process and store auditory speech sounds. In this section, the acoustic data is kept in the conscious awareness by repeatedly recycling the audible information. In 2002, the theory of a memory buffer that is tasked with integrating the data between this two systems and storing the excess sensory information was developed. Although the neuroanatomic correlates of the theorized buffer system have not scientifically been identified, the general thought is that it relies on the frontal lobe. The buffer system employs excellent organization strategies and retrieves data from the long-term memory that is used in information organization, manipulation, and semantic processing (Tulving, 1986). According to studies, the activities that require the use of memory that exceed a span of five to nine tasks or items that need delayed recalling must access the buffer to execute the assignments successfully (Desgranges, Eustache, " Viard, 2016). Although the function of the phonological loop in cognitive processes has received some oppositions from researchers, its role in both child and adult language learning is crucial for efficient acquisition of speech.
Conclusion
The human memory is subdivided into various sections which have different functions that complement each other. The sensory memory provides encoded information to the working memory which in turn processes the data and send it to the long-term memory. There is a back and forth flow of information between the short and long-term memory. Therefore, the various subcategories of the memory interact with each other. Additionally, these sections are further divided into subsections.
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