The mysteries of how memory works are explained in a new book that suggests anyone can increase their ability to remember and that losing keys is normal.
Dr. Megan Sumeracki and Dr. Althea Need Kaminske say storing and retrieving information is much more complex than people think. Extremes of memory, such as photographic or wise, are also very rare despite their common representation in films.
Your new book The psychology of memory describes simple techniques to stimulate memory to enhance learning or to help remember names and numbers.
forgetting is normal
The authors highlight how a certain degree of forgetting is natural, allowing the brain to remember more general information. The memory doesn’t work like a recording device, they say, but “more like a Wiki page” because details can be edited.
The authors, both US-based psychologists, call for a greater understanding of how memory actually works, as it can have an impact on real life. For example, they suggest that potential jurors should be taught how memory works, since crime victims may not be believed in court because their memories are spotty, even though this is perfectly normal.
Dr. Kaminske writes: “Because we are most aware of our memory when we have trouble remembering something, our intuitions about how memory works may be a little biased.
“For example, I (Althea) spend an embarrassing amount of time looking for my phone, my water bottle, and my keys. You might not be surprised to know that our memory systems are not necessarily designed to remember where we put our phones or keys. Or water bottles.
“Although we would hazard a guess that if we were in a survival scenario where dehydration was a concern, we would be much more aware of water sources.
“People remember information better when they process it in a fitness-relevant scenario, such as being stranded on the grasslands of a foreign country.”
How to improve memory
The psychology of memory uses research based on cognitive psychology to increase understanding of all types of memory and their impact. It shows how memory has a huge impact on our lives and can be affected by alcohol, lack of sleep and caffeine.
The book explains the science behind different memory systems and types, such as short-term and long-term memory, and what they are used for.
The authors debunk myths such as that memory is simply a collection of past events. Instead, they show how it is vital to remember to perform a task in the future.
Strategies can strengthen this type of memory, which is known as “event-based” recall. Dr. Sumeracki and Dr. Kaminske suggest leaving a bag in the back seat of the car as a sign to remember to get your child out of the car seat before going to work.
According to the authors, other techniques to stimulate memory can improve long-term knowledge and lead to more efficient learning.
One technique described in the book is “retrieval practice,” the strategy of “pulling” facts from memory. An example is learning the name of a new colleague by deliberately addressing them every time you see them.
Chess players remember the location of pieces on the board using schemas, a way of organizing new information in the brain. The benefit of schema is that it also reduces demands on working memory, and although the authors do not suggest that it is easy to become a chess champion, anyone can use schema to store and remember complex information.
“Visual and auditory techniques can also help train the memory of normal people. The ability to remember the order of cards in a deck seems impressive, but it can be achieved by creating mental associations for each card,” they explain.
“Anyone who has studied knows that regular practice is essential. But to become an expert in a field of learning, people need to employ deliberate practice. The difference is that deliberate practice involves deliberate, purposeful attention, while regular practice just involves repetition.”
Book information:
The psychology of memory, by Megan Sumeracki, Althea Need Kaminske (Routledge 2024) ISBN: Paperback: 9781032488639 | Hardcover 9781032488646 | Ebook 9781003391166 DOI: https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003391166