Storage (memory)

In mental memory, storage is one of three fundamental stages along with encoding and retrieval. Memory is the process of storing and recalling information that was previously acquired. Storing refers to the process of placing newly acquired information into memory, which is modified in the brain for easier storage. Encoding this information makes the process of retrieval easier for the brain where it can be recalled and brought into conscious thinking. Modern memory psychology differentiates between the two distinct types of memory storage: short-term memory and long-term memory. Several models of memory have been proposed over the past century, some of them suggesting different relationships between short- and long-term memory to account for different ways of storing memory.

In mental memory, storage is one of three fundamental stages along with encoding and retrieval. Memory is the process of storing and recalling information that was previously acquired. Storing refers to the process of placing newly acquired information into memory, which is modified in the brain for easier storage. Encoding this information makes the process of retrieval easier for the brain where it can be recalled and brought into conscious thinking. Modern memory psychology differentiates between the two distinct types of memory storage: short-term memory and long-term memory. Several models of memory have been proposed over the past century, some of them suggesting different relationships between short- and long-term memory to account for different ways of storing memory. ====Chunking==== Chunking is the process of grouping pieces of information together into "chunks". This allows for the brain to collect more information at a given time by reducing it to more specific groups. With the processes of chunking, the external environment is linked to the internal cognitive processes of the brain. Due to the limited capacity of working memory, this type of storage is necessary for memory to properly function. The exact number of chunks that can be present in working memory is not definite, but ranges from one to three chunks. The recall is not measured in terms of the items that are being remembered, but the chunks that they are put into. This type of memory storage is typically effective, as it has been found that with the appearance of the first item in a chunk, the other items can be immediately recalled. Though errors may occur, it is more common for the errors to occur at the beginning of the chunk than in the middle of the chunk. Chunks can be recalled with long-term or working memory. Simple chunks of information can be recalled without having to go through long term memory, such as the sequence ABABAB, which would use working memory for recollection. More difficult sequences, such as a phone number, would have to be split into chunks and may have to pass through long-term memory to be recalled. The spacing used in phone numbers is a common chunking method, as the grouping in the numbers allows for the digits to be remembered in clusters and not individually. Chunking was introduced by George A. Miller who suggested that this way of organizing and processing information allows for a more effective retention of material from the environment. Miller developed the idea that chunking was a collection of similar items and when that chunk was named, it allowed for the items in that chunk to be more easily recalled. Other researchers described the items in these chunks as being strongly connected to each other, but not to the other items in other chunks. Each chunk, in their findings, would hold only the items pertaining to that topic, and not have it be relatable to any other chunk or items in that chunk. The menu for a restaurant would display this type of chunking, as the entrée category would not display anything from the dessert category, and the dessert category would not display anything from the entrée category. Psychologist and master chess player Adriaan de Groot supported the theory of chunking through his experiment on chess positions and different levels of expertise. When presented positions of pieces from chess tournament games, the experts were more accurate at recalling the positions. However, when the groups were given random positions to remember, De Groot found that all groups performed poorly at the recalling task regardless of the participants knowledge of chess. Further research into chunking greatly impacted the studies of memory development, expertise, and immediate recall. Research into behavioral and imaging studies have also suggested that chunking can be applied to habit learning, motor skills, language processing, and visual perception. ==References== ==Further reading== Brain Anatomy & Limbic System. (2000). Retrieved November 11, 2014, from http://www.brightfocus.org/alzheimers/about/understanding/anatomy-of-the-brain.html Byrne, J. (n.d.). Learning and Memory. Retrieved October 30, 2014, from https://web.archive.org/web/20171117025519/http://neuroscience.uth.tmc.edu/s4/chapter07.html Gluck, M. A., Mercado, E., & Myers, C. E. (2016). Learning and memory. New York: Worth Publishers. Mattson, A. (2014, June 17). Stress hormone linked to short-term memory loss as we age. Retrieved October 31, 2014, from https://now.uiowa.edu/2014/06/stress-hormone-linked-short-term-memory-loss-we-age McKinley. (n.d.). Human Anatomy (4th ed.). McGraw Hill. Memory and Cognition. (n.d.). Retrieved November 4, 2014, from http://www.neuroanatomy.wisc.edu/coursebook/neuro6(2).pdf Müler, N. (2006, January 1). The Functional Neuroanatomy of working memory; Contributions of Human Brain Lesion Studies. Retrieved October 31, 2014, from http://knightlab.berkeley.edu/statics/publications/2011/04/29/Muller__Knight_2006.pdf Ormrod, J. (2012). Human Learning (6th ed.). Pearson Education. Peterson, L. (1966). Short-term memory. Retrieved October 30, 2014, from http://www.nature.com/scientificamerican/journal/v215/n1/pdf/scientificamerican0766-90.pdf Popova, M. (n.d.). The Science of "Chunking," Working Memory, and How Pattern Recognition Fuels Creativity. Retrieved November 6, 2014, from http://www.brainpickings.org/2012/09/04/the-ravenous-brain-daniel-bor/ Zola, M., & Squire, L. (n.d.). Neuroanatomy of Memory. Retrieved November 5, 2014, from [https://web.archive.org/web/20130627054841/http://www.neuro.iastate.edu/Uploads/SquireLR_AnnRevNS93.pdf]

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