Kenneth Higbee describes two different processes involved in memory (see Table 8.1). The first is short-term memory, defined as how many items you are able to perceive at one time. Higbee found that information stored in short-term memory is forgotten in less than 30 seconds (and sometimes much faster) unless you take action to either keep that information in short-term memory or move it to long-term memory.1
short-term memory How many items you are able to perceive at one time. Memory that disappears in less than 30 seconds (sometimes faster) unless the items are moved to long-term memory.
Although short-term memory is significantly limited, it has a number of uses. It serves as an immediate but temporary holding tank for information, some of which might not be needed for long. It helps you maintain a reasonable attention span so that you can keep track of topics mentioned in conversation, and it also enables you to stay on task with the goals you are pursuing at any moment. But even these simple functions of short-term memory fail on occasion. If the telephone rings, if someone asks you a question, or if you’re interrupted in any way, you might find that your attention suffers and that you essentially have to start over in reconstructing short-term memory.
| Short-Term Memory | Long-Term Memory |
|---|---|
| Stores information for about 30 seconds | Procedural: remembering how to do something |
| Can contain from five to nine chunks of information at one time | Semantic: remembering facts and meanings |
| Information either forgotten or moved to long-term memory | Episodic: remembering the time and place of events |
The second memory process is long-term memory, which is the type of memory you will need to improve so that you will remember what you’re learning in college. Long-term memory can be described in three ways. Procedural memory is knowing how to do something, such as solving a mathematical problem or playing a musical instrument. Semantic memory involves facts and meanings without regard to where and when you learned those things. Episodic memory deals with particular events, their time, and their place.2
long-term memory The type of memory that is used to retain information and can be described in three ways: procedural, semantic, and episodic.
You are using your procedural memory when you get on a bicycle you haven’t ridden in years, when you can recall the first piece you learned to play on the piano, when you effortlessly type a letter or class report, and when you drive a car. Your semantic memory is used continuously to recall word meanings or important dates, such as your mother’s birthday. Episodic memory allows you to remember events in your life: a vacation, your first day in school, or the moment you opened your college acceptance letter. Some people can recall not only the event but also the very date and time the event happened. For others, although the event stands out, the dates and times are harder to remember immediately.