Short and Long Term Memory Defined

Memory is defined as the ability to store, retain and recall information including experiences from the past, pieces of knowledge and your previous thoughts. Information which is interesting or stimulating tends to be remembered more fully than information which a person considers to be uninteresting. Research is continually being done on short and long term memory.

Short Term Memory

It is defined as memories that last for just a few minutes. With short term memory information is kept in your brain as an abstract concept as apposed to sensory memory which is retained just as the event occurred. Some experts suggest that short term memory can only hold about five to nine pieces of information. Past this amount new information can push out the existing items in your short term memory. Short term memory can contain simple pieces of information or quite complex experiences.

To improve your short term memory you can simply repeat the information numerous times and this information can be kept indefinitely in your short term memory. By repeating specific information numerous times, the information can move from your short term memory to your long term memory. Some experts consider intermediate memory to behave just like short term memory however some researchers believe intermediate memory refers to information dealing with the task a person is currently working on.

Long Term Memory

This type of memory can keep large amounts of information for an unlimited period of time. It contains our experiences in life and all the information we have about life. It records semantic information as well as facts. Long term memory is stored in the brain in ways so that it is generally easy to access. Different stimuli can activate your long term memory. For example memories of a horse you owned in the past may be revived by seeing a horse in a pasture or watching a movie that shows a man riding a horse and so on.

Long term memory is classified according to the information the memory contains. Declarative memory is accessible to conscious recall and verbal retrieval. Declarative memory has two subcategories which are episodic and semantic memory and semantic memory is basically factual information.

Maintaining Short and Long Term Memory

Short and long term memories are kept and maintained by different methods. Your short term memory is maintained by transient patterns of neuronal communication relying on areas of the frontal lobe and on the parietal lobe. Long term memories are thought to be kept in good condition by permanent modifications in the brain’s neural connections which are found all over the brain. The hippocampus might not have the ability to keep short and long term memories, however it is necessary for the transfer of short term memory to your long term memory. There is more information available from other studies concerning short term and long term memory.