Memory Project: Application to Learning & Study Habits Memory is the capability to learn, retain, store and remember information from previous experiences. Memories are accumulated from prior experiences and recollected, which can influence change of behavior or thought. This ability can assist with learning and adapting to new experiences. Memory is essential to our lives. Without a memory of the past we cannot operate in the present or think about the future. We would not be able to remember what we did yesterday, what we have done today or what we plan to do tomorrow. Without memory we could not learn anything. Short-term memory is information a person is thinking of at that specific time, it is also known as working memory …show more content…

For example, we may use a phrase to remember a series of numbers, such as the mathematical Pi sequence (3.14159 etc.) or an ordered list whose numbers or items are not easily memorized. Mnemonics are a way of remembering using association; associating easy to remember things with data. A schema is a mental concept which informs a person about what to expect from a variety of experiences and situations (pg. 193). Schemas are developed based on information provided by life experiences and are then stored in memory. Our brains create and use schemas as a short cut to make future encounters with similar situations easier to navigate. For instance, most people who have ever had a job have had more than one job. Think back to when you started your second job. If you had a successful first job experience then without even knowing it your brain developed a schema based on what is involved in having a job. You probably knew that it was a good idea to go see your manager to get your assignments for the day; you probably had a sense that there would be breaks at some point throughout the day, and you probably expected to be paid at some point for your work. Those expectations about what to expect are a schema. Even though you had never worked a day for the new company you still had a general idea of how things should work. Attention plays a pivotal role in memory. Incoming information can be selectively obtained by seeing, listening, smelling, and sensing (pg.186).