Memory is distinguished based on the nature of storing information. Memory. Types of memory according to the duration of consolidation and retention of material

MEMORY is a reflection of a person’s past experience, manifested in memorization, preservation and subsequent recall of what he perceived, did, felt or thought about.
Kinds
1 According to the leading analyzer (vision, olfactory, touch, gustatory - memory for images, taste, hearing, etc.)
2 By subject or material De:
a) motor (movement) is the basis of all skills (walking, writing, cutting bread, i.e. any movements brought to automatism).
b) emotional. Memory for feelings and emotions. It matters in the process of personality formation. Regulation is repeated from experienced feelings (emotions). Happens:
- figurative (based on some images) - verbal (speech means)
3 According to the duration of the processes:
a) sensory memory, when it is remembered at the level of receptors (0.1-0.5 sec) – Turn off the phone, the picture remains
b) short-term. Information is stored for about 20 seconds. Brief retention after a short perception time..
c) long-term. Long-term retention of material after repeated repetition (multiplication tables, poetry)
d) operational. Memorizing any coincidences for performing any operations (tasks) - how to brew tea? We remember well, that is, we remember when necessary.
4 By purpose De
a) involuntary (no goal, no volitional effort
b) voluntary (there is a goal, volitional effort and uses mnemonic actions - specific techniques, techniques.
Processes
1 Memorization. A technique that results in the consolidation of something new by associating it with what was previously acquired. Memorization is selective:
a) what a person acts with is remembered (we taught chemistry at school, then we explain it to the child)
b) what is interesting is remembered
c) memorization depends on volitional sphere. Use a mnemonic method of action (technique when memorizing - create images of what you are teaching about)
2 Memory is preservation and forgetting. Retention - retention of past experience:
a) preservation of material depending on the degree of participation in De

b) the volume of material should be proportional to the volume of memory
FORGETING – falling out, disappearing from memory of past experience. Sometimes forgetting is advisable to avoid overexertion nervous system. When forgetting a being, the phenomenon of reminiscence is a delayed reproduction of a past experience that was forgotten.
3 Playback. Memory in which actualization occurs, consolidation of early memory from long-term memory into operational memory. Highlight:
A) own B – when the material is produced without repeated perception
B) recognition – reproduction of an object under conditions of repeated perception (you need to present and remember the object).
C) recollection is the most active reproduction, associated with tension and requiring volitional efforts.
The initial manifestation of memory can be considered conditioned reflexes observed already in the first months of a child’s life, for example, the cessation of crying when the mother enters the room. The manifestation of memory is revealed more clearly when the child begins to recognize objects. This is first observed at the end of the first half of life, and at first recognition is limited to a narrow circle of objects: the child recognizes his mother, other people who constantly surround him, things with which he often deals. Moreover, all this is recognized if there is no long break in the perception of the subject. If the time interval between recognition and perception of an object (the so-called “latent period”) was large enough, then the child may not recognize the object presented to him. Usually this hidden period should not exceed a few days, otherwise the child will not be able to recognize anything or anyone.
Gradually, the range of objects that the child recognizes increases. The latent period also lengthens. By the end of the second year of life, the child can recognize what he saw several weeks earlier. By the end of the third year - what was perceived several months ago, and by the end of the fourth - what was perceived about a year ago.
In early childhood, involuntary memorization and reproduction predominate. Voluntary memorization is activated by the child if it is required by the adult or a corresponding task arises. In preschool age, eidetic memory predominates - the child, remembering, seems to see the object again and can describe it in detail.
Preschool age is characterized by intensive development of memorization and reproduction mechanisms. First of all, the child manifests recognition, but reproduction appears much later. The first signs of reproduction are observed only in the second year of life. It is precisely the short duration of the latent period that explains the fact that our first memories of childhood belong to the period of four to five years of age. (vivid memories that remain in everyone’s memory after one hundred years of age, and an almost complete absence of memories of early childhood).
Initially, memory is involuntary. In preschool and preschool age Children usually do not set themselves the task of remembering anything. Memorization and reproduction do not depend on the will of the reb, but are connected with the De carried out by him. At the age of 4-5 years, arbitrary forms of memorization and reproduction begin to take shape. The development of voluntary memory in preschool age occurs in games and in the process of education. Moreover, the manifestation of memorization is related to the interests of the child. Children remember better what interests them. It should also be emphasized that at preschool age children begin to remember meaningfully, that is, they understand what they remember. In this case, children primarily rely on visually perceived connections of objects and phenomena, rather than on abstract logical relationships between concepts.
The assimilation of arbitrary forms of memorization occurs in stages. At first, the children set the task of remembering and remembering, without using special methods of memorization, because they do not yet know them.
The next stage is the development of memorization techniques, which are usually suggested by an adult. For example, a child gives a task, and then is asked to repeat it, and an adult helps with leading questions.
Despite the imperfection of memorization mechanisms, memory in preschool age becomes a leading function and occupies a central place in consciousness.
Rapid development of memory characteristics occurs in school years. This is due to the learning process. The process of assimilation of new knowledge predetermines the development, first of all, of voluntary memory. Unlike a preschooler, a schoolchild is forced to remember and reproduce not what is interesting to him, but what the school curriculum provides. Under the influence of school requirements, memorization and reproduction become more and more voluntary and become much more active, so schooling from a certain point of view can be considered as a comprehensive system for training the memory of a young person.

Types of memory according to the duration of consolidation and retention of material

There is a similar division of memory into short-term And long-term.short-term memory– this is a type of memory characterized by a very brief retention of perceived information. A manifestation of short-term memory is the case when we are asked to read words or are given very little time to memorize them (about one minute), and then are asked to immediately reproduce what we remember. Naturally, everyone's results will be different. Some remember 5 words, others - 7, only a very few - 9. This happens because they have different amounts of short-term memory.

The capacity of short-term memory varies from person to person. It characterizes a person’s natural memory and is preserved, as a rule, throughout life. The volume of short-term memory characterizes the ability mechanically, i.e. without using special techniques, remember perceived information.

Short-term memory plays a very important role in human life. Thanks to it, a significant amount of information is processed, unnecessary information is immediately eliminated and potentially useful remains. As a result, long-term memory does not become overloaded. In general, short-term memory is of great importance for organizing thinking, and in this respect it is very similar to working memory.

Concept RAM denote mnemonic processes that serve actual actions and operations directly carried out by a person. When we perform any complex operation, for example arithmetic, we carry it out in parts. At the same time, we keep some intermediate results “in mind” as long as we are dealing with them. As we move towards the final result, specific “worked out” material may be forgotten. We observe a similar phenomenon when performing any more or less complex action. The parts of the material with which a person operates may be different (for example, a child begins to read by folding letters). The volume of these parts, the so-called operational memory units, significantly affects the success of any activity. Therefore, for memorizing material, the formation of optimal operational memory units is of great importance.

Without good short-term memory, normal functioning of long-term memory is impossible. Long-term memory– the most important and most complex of memory systems. According to R. Solso (1996), long-term memory allows us to live in two worlds simultaneously: the past and the present, and thus allows us to make sense of the endless stream of direct experience. The volume of this memory is unlimited, the storage duration is virtually unlimited.

Until now, we have focused on the general patterns of human memory, characteristic of all people. But there are, however, individual differences that distinguish the memory of some people from others. We will look at them below.

Individual characteristics of memory (according to I.A. Korsakov)

On the one hand, the memory of an individual person often prefers material to one modality (visual, auditory, motor). On the other hand, different people The level of organization of the material is different, although they say that it is better to see once than to hear a hundred times, but in relation to memorization this is not always the case.

Some people learn movements well and easily develop a variety of motor skills. Others can easily remember such complex contours and shapes that are completely inaccessible to others. Moreover, visual memory can demonstrate the most amazing properties. So, during the exam, in preparation for the answer, the student outlined the content of the material, but left an empty space in the corner of one sheet. It turned out that this place was intended for a drawing that he could not remember. People with pronounced auditory memory can not only remember, but also reproduce music they heard for the first time, and sometimes quite complex ones. These memory features may be congenital, but they may also be associated with the characteristics of people’s professional activities or the conditions of the environment in which a person develops and is formed.

Thus, a high-class radio operator can easily retain more than 10 digits in memory, sometimes 15-20. The profession of a taster is based on a well-developed taste memory.

FIGURE 12

And weaving specialists distinguish a large number of even shades of black. An athlete needs to have good motor memory, a musician needs auditory memory, and a teacher, in particular, needs to have a memory for faces and surnames.

The conclusion from all of the above is obvious: for the benefit of the business, professional success, or simply “non-straining” training, it is better speak to the memory in the language it prefers.

The question immediately arises: “How can we find out the preferences of our memory?”

Refer to your memory and the memory of your family members. Ask how each of you remembers, say, phone numbers. Try to remember the list of words. What did you get? How did you remember them: auditorily or visually?

Psychology has experimentally obtained data on increasing the efficiency of memorization with the simultaneous use of various modalities. After the interaction of visual, auditory (speech) memory with the included components of reasoning, you can easily remember the material.

For many people, memory productivity can increase if some automated actions, such as walking, are connected to memory work. Despite the fact that the mechanism for performing such friendly actions is not yet entirely clear, knowledge of this feature of the psyche should not be neglected. This feature of memory, imperceptibly for each of us, “fits” into mental processes. We swing our arms, mastering a new activity, intensively, albeit usually unconsciously, using the tension of the muscles directly related to it. Thus, a first-grader, learning to write, not only moves the pen on the paper, but also helps himself with movements of the tongue, lips, and a certain position of the head.

In a number of cases, individual characteristics of memory can manifest themselves both in the phenomenal development of memory as a whole, and in the extraordinary productivity of its individual types. History knows many examples concerning the memory of outstanding people. Such commanders as Macedonian, Suvorov, Napoleon knew almost all their soldiers by name. Seneca could remember and repeat 2 thousand words after listening to them once.

Phenomenal memory Shereshevsky, however, is a special case associated with the individual structure of the psyche of a given person. Compared to other people, the more likely option is that those with outstanding memory for faces, numbers and words use special means and techniques.

FIGURE 13

Moving on to the second feature of individual memory – the level of its organization, the following should be noted. As the observations of experimental psychologists show, some people are dominated by direct, visual, sensory forms of memorization, while others use logical schemes (judgments) generalized through speech. It is to these differences that the division of people into “artistic” and “mental” types goes back.

The individual structural features of memory also include such characteristics as the size of the operational memory unit. To illustrate, let's look at the reading process. It is important to note that everyone knows for themselves that, based on the level of mastery of the perception of written speech and the subject discussed in the text, we read at different speeds. A first-grader learning to read first reads syllables, then the word becomes the operational unit of reading. Adults simultaneously perceive larger units of text, phrases or even paragraphs when reading. Some people can read a page very quickly without losing much of the text. It should be noted that the same is true in memory. The operational unit, the piece of information entered into memory, must vary in capacity among individuals. Sometimes you hear that a given person has a “trained memory.” This means, in particular, not only the free and adequate use of memorization tools to the situation and material, but also the ability to enlarge the units identified in the content or structure of information when memorizing or reproducing.

Trained memory is the free and correct use of memorization tools, aimed at transforming mechanical, immediate, subordinate to external characteristics, imprinting traces into voluntary, meaningful activity related to the needs and motives of a person. Trained memory is always based on mnemonics, which is defined as a set of techniques and methods that facilitate memorization and increase memory capacity. It turns out that each of us constantly uses some kind of mnemonic tool, ranging from such a general technique as comprehending information, to narrower special methods, such as, for example, grouping numbers into numbers (three-, four-digit) when memorizing a digital sequence.

When memorizing, establishing a connection (association), highlighting main idea in the text to remember the content, we use mnemonics. It is an integral part of our mental activity.

What is the reason for the effectiveness of mnemonic techniques, whether they are based on figurative coding of information or verbal-logical? It is that the use of mnemonics to a certain extent shifts memorization to the area of more powerful memory resources, its involuntary sphere, since during any recoding of the memorized material, work is being done on the means, and the mnestic task itself seems to fade into the background. This is especially noticeable when working intellectually with the material.
Concept and types, 2018.
The strength of mnemonics, therefore, most likely lies in the fact that when accessing it in the process of memorization, both voluntary and involuntary parts are involved. It is only important that work on the means is not the only significant goal. The nature of memory as a mental activity does not change in this case (using mnemotechnical means, including eidetic ones). There is nothing so strange in it or, as some are inclined to think, deviated from the norm. Just a function of the means in in this case significantly shifts to the area of the involuntary, but the results of such work are much better.

The effectiveness of memory is determined by three parameters: memory capacity, completeness (or accuracy) of reproduction, and similarly the strength (duration) of information storage that can be translated into actual memory.

The work of everyone who wants to improve their memory should be aimed at improving these three components. Increased memory productivity is ensured by:

1. Correct formulation of the memorization task in connection with the requirement of reproduction.

2. Active orientation in the memorized material with the choice of the main, essential and cutting off the unimportant, insignificant.

3. Establishment (selection) of the principle of organizing the memorized material and the formation of an operational unit and memorization code.

4. Proper organization of the forgetting process (translation into latent memory), based on the choice of an adequate code.

5. Taking into account the characteristics of the negative influence of interfering activity. 6. Comprehensive and full use

A special place in solving the problem of improving memory is occupied by meaningful, intellectually rich work on the material, introducing it into an already existing system of knowledge. A well-functioning memory is associated with the ability to observe, be attentive and focused. The attitude towards repetition as a creative process, the correct organization of the content and temporal aspects of repetition is absolute, necessary for the effective manifestation of memory capabilities, the highest possible, but strictly adaptive efficiency - that is, manifestation exactly to the extent that it is really necessary at any given moment - no less, but no more. High memory performance includes two more fundamental requirements. Firstly, for good memory performance it is necessary to have motivation, interest in the content of the material and the task of memorization and reproduction. Secondly, you need to use a variety of aids, corresponding to the tasks of the activity being performed. Memory is related to other mental processes. Its indirect nature and dependence on the general direction of each person’s activity is manifested in motivation and goal formation.

I would like to finish by referring to the words of L.S. Vygotsky that memory reveals a unique form of internal cooperation between a person and himself. Enriching this cooperation is the main way of developing and nurturing memory.

Types of memory according to the duration of consolidation and retention of material - concept and types. Classification and features of the category “Types of memory by duration of consolidation and storage of material” 2017-2018.

The basis for distinguishing different types of memory are: the nature of mental activity, the degree of awareness of the memorized information (images), the nature of the connection with the goals of the activity, the duration of preservation of the images, and the goals of the study.

By the nature of mental activity(depending on the type of analyzers, sensory systems and subcortical formations of the brain included in the memory processes), memory is divided into: figurative, motor, emotional and verbal-logical.

Figurative memory- this is a memory for images formed through the processes of perception through various sensory systems and reproduced in the form of ideas. In this regard, in figurative memory there are:

visual (image of a loved one’s face, a tree in the yard home, cover of a textbook on the subject being studied);
auditory (the sound of your favorite song, your mother’s voice, the noise of the turbines of a jet plane or the sea surf);
gustatory (the taste of your favorite drink, the acidity of lemon, the bitterness of black pepper, the sweetness of oriental fruits);
olfactory (the smell of meadow grass, favorite perfume, smoke from a fire);
tactile (the soft back of a kitten, the tender hands of a mother, the pain of an accidentally cut finger, the warmth of a room heating radiator).

Available statistics show the relative capabilities of these types of memory in the educational process. Thus, when listening to a lecture once (i.e., using only auditory memory), the student can reproduce only 10% of its content the next day. When independently studying a lecture visually (only visual memory is used), this figure increases to 30%. Storytelling and visualization bring this figure to 50%. Practical practice of lecture material using all of the above types of memory ensures 90% success.

Motor(motor) memory is manifested in the ability to remember, store and reproduce various motor operations (swimming, cycling, playing volleyball). This type of memory forms the basis of labor skills and any appropriate motor acts.

Emotional memory is a memory of feelings (memory of fear or shame for one’s previous action). Emotional memory is considered one of the most reliable, durable “repositories” of information. “Well, you’re vindictive!” - we say to a person who for a long time cannot forget the insult inflicted on him and is unable to forgive the offender.

This type of memory reproduces feelings previously experienced by a person or, as they say, reproduces secondary feelings. In this case, secondary feelings may not only not correspond to their originals (originally experienced feelings) in strength and semantic content, but also change their sign to the opposite. For example, what we previously feared may now become desirable. Thus, the newly appointed boss, according to rumors, was known (and at first was perceived as such) as a more demanding person than the previous one, which caused natural anxiety among employees. Subsequently, it turned out that this was not the case: the boss’s demanding nature ensured the professional growth of employees and an increase in their salaries.

The lack of emotional memory leads to “emotional dullness”: a person becomes an unattractive, uninteresting, robot-like creature to others. The ability to rejoice and suffer - necessary condition human mental health.

Verbal-logical, or semantic, memory is the memory for thoughts and words. Actually, there are no thoughts without words, which is emphasized by the very name of this type of memory. Based on the degree of participation of thinking in verbal-logical memory, mechanical and logical memory are sometimes conventionally distinguished. We speak of mechanical memory when memorizing and storing information is carried out primarily through its repeated repetition without deep understanding of the content. By the way, mechanical memory tends to deteriorate with age. An example is the “forced” memorization of words that are not related to each other in meaning.

Logical memory is based on the use of semantic connections between memorized objects, objects or phenomena. It is constantly used, for example, by teachers: when presenting new lecture material, they periodically remind students of previously introduced concepts related to this topic.

According to the degree of awareness of stored information, a distinction is made between implicit and explicit memory.

Implicit memory- this is memory for material that a person is not aware of. The process of memorization occurs implicitly, secretly, regardless of consciousness, and is inaccessible to direct observation. The manifestation of such memory requires a “trigger”, which may be the need to solve some problem that is important for the given moment. At the same time, he is not aware of the knowledge that he possesses. In the process of socialization, for example, a person perceives the norms and values of his society without awareness of the basic theoretical principles that guide his behavior. It happens as if by itself.

Explicit memory is based on the conscious use of previously acquired knowledge. To solve a problem, they are extracted from consciousness on the basis of recall, recognition, etc.

By the nature of the connection with the goals of the activity distinguish between voluntary and involuntary memory. Involuntary memory- a trace of an image in consciousness that arises without a special purpose set for it. Information is stored as if automatically, without volitional effort. In childhood, this type of memory is developed, but weakens with age. An example of involuntary memory is capturing a picture of a long line at the box office of a concert hall.

Arbitrary memory- intentional (volitional) memorization of an image, associated with some purpose and carried out using special techniques. For example, memorization by a law enforcement operative external signs in the guise of a criminal in order to identify him and arrest him upon meeting. It should be noted that the comparative characteristics of voluntary and involuntary memory in terms of the strength of memorizing information do not give absolute advantages to any of them.

By duration of saving images distinguish between instant (sensory), short-term, operational and long-term memory.

Instant (touch) memory is a memory that retains information perceived by the senses without processing it. Managing this memory is almost impossible. Varieties of this memory:

iconic (after-image memory, the images of which are stored for a short period of time after a brief presentation of an object; if you close your eyes, then open them for a moment and close them again, then the image of what you saw, stored for a time of 0.1-0.2 s, will form the content of this type memory);
echoic (after-image memory, the images of which are stored for 2-3 s after a brief auditory stimulus).

Short-term (working) memory is memory for images after a single, short-term perception and with immediate (in the first seconds after perception) reproduction. This type of memory reacts to the number of perceived symbols (signs), their physical nature, but not to their information content. There is a magic formula for human short-term memory: “seven plus or minus two.” This means that with a single presentation of numbers (letters, words, symbols, etc.), 5-9 objects of this type remain in short-term memory. Retention of information in short-term memory averages 20-30 seconds.

Operational memory, “related” to short-term memory, allows you to save a trace of the image only for performing current actions (operations). For example, sequentially removing information symbols of a message from the display screen and holding it in memory until the end of the entire message.

Long-term memory is a memory for images, “calculated” for long-term preservation of their traces in consciousness and subsequent repeated use in future life activities. It forms the basis of solid knowledge. Retrieval of information from long-term memory is carried out in two ways: either at will, or with extraneous stimulation of certain areas of the cerebral cortex (for example, during hypnosis, irritation of certain areas of the cerebral cortex with a weak electric current). The most important information is stored in a person’s long-term memory for life.

It should be noted that in relation to long-term memory, short-term memory is a kind of “checkpoint” through which perceived images penetrate into long-term memory subject to repeated reception. Without repetition, images are lost. Sometimes the concept of “intermediate memory” is introduced, attributing to it the function of primary “sorting” of input information: the most interesting part of the information is retained in this memory for several minutes. If during this time it is not in demand, then its complete loss is possible.

Depending on the purpose of the study introduce the concepts of genetic (biological), episodic, reconstructive, reproductive, associative, autobiographical memory.

Genetic(biological) memory is determined by the mechanism of heredity. This is the “memory of centuries”, a memory of the biological events of the vast evolutionary period of man as a species. It preserves a person’s tendency to engage in certain types of behavior and patterns of action in specific situations. Through this memory, elementary innate reflexes, instincts and even elements of a person’s physical appearance are transmitted.

Episodic memory concerns the storage of individual pieces of information with the recording of the situation in which it was perceived (time, place, method). For example, a person, looking for a gift for a friend, outlined a clear route around retail outlets, recording suitable items by location, floors, departments of stores and the faces of the salespeople working there.

Reproductive memory consists of repeated reproduction by recalling an original previously stored object. For example, an artist draws a picture from memory (based on recollection) of a taiga landscape that he contemplated while on a creative business trip. It is known that Aivazovsky created all his paintings from memory.

Reconstructive memory consists not so much in the reproduction of an object, but in the procedure for restoring a disrupted sequence of stimuli in its original form. For example, a process engineer restores from memory a lost diagram of the sequence of processes for manufacturing a complex part.

Associative memory is based on any established functional connections (associations) between memorized objects. A man, passing by a candy store, remembered that at home he was instructed to buy a cake for dinner.

Autobiographical memory is memory for the events of one’s own life (in principle, it can be classified as a type of episodic memory).

All types of memory belonging to different classification bases are closely interrelated. Indeed, for example, the quality of short-term memory determines the level of functioning of long-term memory. At the same time, objects perceived simultaneously through several channels are better remembered by a person.

There is also a division of memory into short-term And long-term.short-term memory is a type of memory characterized by a very brief retention of perceived information. A manifestation of short-term memory is the case when we are asked to read words or are given very little time to memorize them (about one minute), and then are asked to immediately reproduce what we remember. Naturally, everyone's results will be different. Some people remember 5 words, others - 7, only a very few - 9. This happens because they have different amounts of short-term memory.

Short-term memory plays a very important role in human life. Thanks to it, a significant amount of information is processed, unnecessary information is immediately eliminated and potentially useful remains. As a result, long-term memory is not overloaded. In general, short-term memory is of great importance for the organization of thinking, and in this it is very similar to RAM.

Concept RAM denote mnemonic processes that serve actual actions and operations directly carried out by a person. When we perform any complex operation, such as arithmetic, we carry it out in parts. At the same time, we keep some intermediate results “in mind” as long as we are dealing with them. As we move towards the final result, specific “worked out” material may be forgotten. We observe a similar phenomenon when performing any more or less complex action. The parts of the material with which a person operates may be different (for example, a child begins to read by folding letters). The volume of these parts, so-called RAM units, significantly affects the success of a particular activity. Therefore, to memorize the material it has great importance formation of optimal operational memory units.

Without good short-term memory, normal functioning is impossible long-term memory. Long-term memory – the most important and most complex of memory systems. According to R. Solso (1996), long-term memory allows us to live in two worlds simultaneously: the past and the present, and thus allows us to make sense of the endless stream of direct experience. The volume of this memory is unlimited, the storage duration is virtually unlimited.

Individual characteristics of memory (according to I.A. Korsakov)

On the one hand, the memory of an individual person is often prefers material of one modality(visual, auditory, motor). On the other hand, different people have different level of material organization, although they say that it is better to see once than to hear a hundred times, but in relation to memorization this is not always the case.

Some people learn movements well and easily develop a variety of motor skills. Others can easily remember such complex contours and shapes that are completely inaccessible to others. At the same time, visual memory can demonstrate the most amazing properties. So, during the exam, in preparation for the answer, the student outlined the content of the material, but left an empty space in the corner of one sheet. It turned out that this place was intended for a drawing that he could not remember. People with pronounced auditory memory can not only remember, but also reproduce the first heard and sometimes quite complex pieces of music. These memory features may be congenital, but may also be associated with professional activity people or the conditions of the environment in which a person develops and is formed.

Thus, a high-class radio operator can easily retain more than 10 digits in memory, sometimes 15-20. The profession of a taster is based on a well-developed taste memory.

FIGURE 12

And weaving specialists distinguish a large number of shades, even black. An athlete needs to have good motor memory, a musician needs auditory memory, and a teacher, in particular, needs to have a memory for faces and surnames.

The conclusion from all of the above is obvious: for the benefit of the business, professional success, or simply “non-straining” training, it is better speak to the memory in the language it prefers .

The question immediately arises: “How to find out the preferences of our memory?”

For many people, memory productivity can improve if some automated activities, such as walking, are connected to memory work. Despite the fact that the mechanism for performing such friendly actions is not yet entirely clear, knowledge of this feature of the psyche should not be neglected. This feature of memory, imperceptibly for each of us, “fits” into mental processes. We swing our arms, mastering a new activity, intensively, albeit usually unconsciously, using the tension of the muscles directly related to it. Thus, a first-grader, learning to write, not only moves the pen on the paper, but also helps himself with movements of the tongue, lips, and a certain position of the head.

In a number of cases, individual characteristics of memory can manifest themselves both in the phenomenal development of memory in general, and in the extraordinary productivity of its individual types. History knows many examples concerning the memory of outstanding people. Such commanders as Macedonian, Suvorov, Napoleon knew almost all their soldiers by name. Seneca could remember and repeat 2 thousand words after listening to them once.

Shereshevsky's phenomenal memory, however, is a special case associated with the individual structure of the psyche of a given person. Compared to other people, the more likely option is that those with outstanding memory for faces, numbers and words use special means and techniques.

FIGURE 13

Moving on to the second feature of individual memory - the level of its organization, the following should be noted. As the observations of experimental psychologists show, some people are dominated by direct, visual, sensory forms of memorization, while others use logical schemes (judgments) generalized through speech. It is to these differences that the division of people into “artistic” and “mental” types goes back.

Individual structural features of memory also include such characteristics as the size of the operational memory unit. To illustrate, let's look at the reading process. Everyone knows for themselves that depending on the level of mastery of the perception of written speech and the subject discussed in the text, we read at different speeds. A first-grader learning to read first reads syllables, then the word becomes the operational unit of reading. Adults simultaneously perceive larger units of text, phrases or even paragraphs when reading. Some people can read a page very quickly without losing much of the text's content. It's the same in memory. The operational unit, the piece of information entered into memory, may vary in capacity among individuals. Sometimes you hear that a given person has a “trained memory.” This means, in particular, not only the free and adequate use of memorization tools to the situation and material, but also the ability to enlarge the units identified in the content or structure of information when memorizing or reproducing.

Trained memory is the free and correct use of memorization tools, aimed at transforming the mechanical, immediate, subordinate to external characteristics of imprinting traces into voluntary, meaningful activity related to the needs and motives of a person. Trained memory is always based on mnemonics, which is defined as a set of techniques and methods that facilitate memorization and increase memory capacity. It turns out that each of us constantly uses some kind of mnemonic tool, ranging from such a general technique as comprehending information, to narrower special methods, such as, for example, grouping numbers into numbers (three-, four-digit) when memorizing a digital sequence.

When establishing a connection (association) when memorizing, highlighting the main idea in the text to remember its content, we use mnemonics. It is an integral part of our mental activity.

What is the reason for the effectiveness of mnemonic techniques, whether they are based on figurative coding of information or verbal-logical? It is that the use of mnemonics to a certain extent shifts memorization to the area of more powerful memory resources, its involuntary sphere, since during one or another recoding of the memorized material, work is being done on the means, and the mnestic task itself seems to fade into the background. This is especially noticeable when working intellectually with material. The strength of mnemonics, therefore, most likely lies in the fact that when accessing it in the process of memorization, both its voluntary and involuntary parts are involved. It is only important that work on the means is not the only significant goal. The nature of memory as a mental activity does not change in this case (when using mnemotechnical means, including eidetic ones). There is nothing so strange or, as some are inclined to think, deviant from the norm in him. It’s just that the function of the tool in this case largely shifts to the area of the involuntary, but the results of such work are much better.

The effectiveness of memory is determined by three parameters: memory capacity, completeness (or accuracy) of reproduction, as well as the strength (duration) of information storage that can be translated into actual memory.

The work of everyone who wants to improve their memory should be aimed at improving these three components. Increased memory productivity is ensured by:

1. Correct formulation of the memorization task in connection with the requirement of reproduction.

2. Active orientation in the memorized material with the choice of the main, essential and cutting off the unimportant, insignificant.

3. Establishment (selection) of the principle of organizing the memorized material and the formation of an operational unit and memorization code.

4. Correct organization of the forgetting process (translation into latent memory), based on the choice of an adequate code.

5. Taking into account the characteristics of the negative influence of interfering activity.

A special place in solving the problem of improving memory is occupied by meaningful, intellectually rich work on the material, introducing it into an existing system of knowledge. A well-functioning memory is associated with the ability to observe, be attentive and focused. The attitude towards repetition as a creative process, the correct organization of the content and temporal aspects of repetition is absolute, necessary for the effective manifestation of memory capabilities, the highest possible, but strictly adaptive efficiency - that is, manifestation exactly to the extent that it is really necessary at any given moment - not less, but not more. High memory performance includes two more fundamental requirements. Firstly, for good memory performance it is necessary to have motivation, interest in the content of the material and the task of memorization and reproduction. Secondly, you need to use a variety of auxiliary tools that correspond to the tasks of the activity being performed. Memory is related to other mental processes. Its indirect nature and dependence on the general direction of each person’s activity is manifested in motivation and goal formation.

I would like to finish by referring to the words of L.S. Vygotsky that memory reveals a peculiar form of internal cooperation between a person and himself . Enriching this cooperation is the main way to develop and nurture memory.

It is known that each of our experiences, impressions or movements constitutes a certain trace that can persist for quite a long time and, under appropriate conditions, appear again and become an object of consciousness. Therefore, under memory we understand the imprinting (recording), preservation and subsequent recognition and reproduction of traces of past experience, which allows us to accumulate information without losing previous knowledge, information, and skills.

Thus, memory is a complex mental process consisting of several private processes associated with each other. All consolidation of knowledge and skills relates to the work of memory. Accordingly, psychological science faces a number of difficult problems. She sets herself the task of studying how traces are imprinted, what are the physiological mechanisms of this process, and what techniques can expand the volume of imprinted material.

The study of memory was one of the first branches of psychological science to apply experimental method: Attempts have been made to measure the processes being studied and to describe the laws that govern them. Back in the 80s of the last century, the German psychologist G. Ebbinghaus proposed a technique with the help of which, as he believed, it was possible to study the laws of pure memory, independent of the activity of thinking - this is the memorization of meaningless syllables, as a result, he derived the main curves of memorization (memorization ) material. The classical studies of G. Ebbinghaus were accompanied by the works of the German psychiatrist E. Kraepelin, who applied these techniques to the analysis of how memorization proceeds in patients with mental changes, and the German psychologist G. E. Müller, whose fundamental research is devoted to the basic laws of consolidation and reproduction of memory traces in person.

With the development of objective research into animal behavior, the field of memory research has been significantly expanded. At the end of the 19th and beginning of the 20th centuries. Research by the famous American psychologist Thorndike appeared, who for the first time made the formation of skills in an animal the subject of study, using for this purpose an analysis of how the animal learned to find its way in a maze and how it gradually consolidated the acquired skills. In the first decade of the 20th century. Research into these processes has acquired a new scientific form. I. P. Pavlov was offered method of studying conditioned reflexes. The conditions under which new conditioned connections arise and are retained and which influence this retention have been described. The study of higher nervous activity and its basic laws later became the main source of our knowledge about the physiological mechanisms of memory, and the development and preservation of skills and the process of “learning” in animals formed the main content of American behavioral science. All these studies were limited to the study of the most elementary memory processes.

The merit of the first systematic study of higher forms of memory in children belongs to the outstanding Russian psychologist L. S. Vygotsky, who in the late 20s. for the first time began to study the question of the development of higher forms of memory and, together with his students, showed that higher forms of memory are a complex form of mental activity, social in origin, by tracing the main stages of the development of the most complex mediated memorization. Research by A. A. Smirnov and P. I. Zinchenko, who revealed new and significant laws of memory as a meaningful human activity, established the dependence of memorization on the task at hand and identified the main methods of memorizing complex material.

And only over the past 40 years the situation has changed significantly. Studies have emerged that show that the imprinting, storage and reproduction of traces are associated with profound biochemical changes, in particular with the modification of RNA, and that memory traces can be transferred humorally, biochemically.

Finally, research has emerged that has attempted to isolate the areas of the brain required for memory retention and the neurological mechanisms underlying remembering and forgetting. All this made the section on the psychology and psychophysiology of memory one of the richest in psychological science. Many of the listed theories still exist at the level of hypotheses, but one thing is clear: memory is a complex mental process, consisting of different levels, different systems and including the operation of many mechanisms.

The most general basis for distinguishing different types of memory is the dependence of its characteristics on the characteristics of the activity of memorization and reproduction.

In this case, individual types of memory are distinguished in accordance with three main criteria:

by the nature of mental activity, predominant in activity, memory is divided into motor, emotional, figurative and verbal-logical;
by the nature of the goals of the activity- into involuntary and voluntary;
by duration of fixation and retention materials (in connection with its role and place in the activity) - for short-term, long-term and operational.

Direct imprint of sensory information. This system maintains a fairly accurate and complete picture of the world, perceived by the senses. The duration of saving the picture is very short - 0.1-0.5 s.

Tap your hand with 4 fingers. Watch the immediate sensations, how they fade, so that at first you still have the real sensation of the tap, and then only the memory of what it was.
Move a pencil or just a finger back and forth in front of your eyes, looking straight ahead. Notice the blurry image following the moving object.
Close your eyes, then open them for a moment and close them again. Watch how the clear, clear picture you see persists for a while and then slowly disappears.

Short-term memory

Short-term memory retains a different type of material than the immediate imprint of sensory information. In this case, the retained information is not a complete representation of events that occurred at the sensory level, but a direct interpretation of these events. For example, if a phrase is said in front of you, you will remember not so much its constituent sounds as the words. Usually the last 5-6 units from the presented material are remembered. By making a conscious effort to repeat the material over and over again, you can retain it in your short-term memory for an indefinite period of time.

Long-term memory.

There is a clear and compelling difference between the memory of an event that just happened and events of the distant past. Long-term memory is the most important and most complex of memory systems. The capacity of the first named memory systems is very limited: the first consists of several tenths of seconds, the second - several storage units. However, some limits to the volume of long-term memory still exist, since the brain is a finite device. It consists of 10 billion neurons and each is capable of holding a significant amount of information. Moreover, it is so large that one can practically assume that the memory capacity of the human brain is unlimited. Anything held for more than a few minutes must be in the long-term memory system.

The main source of difficulties associated with long-term memory is the problem of retrieval of information. The amount of information contained in memory is very large and therefore presents serious difficulties. However, you can quickly find what you need.

RAM

The concept of RAM refers to mnemonic processes that serve current actions and operations. Such memory is designed to retain information, followed by forgetting the corresponding information. The shelf life of this type of memory depends on the task and can vary from several minutes to several days. When we perform any complex operation, for example arithmetic, we carry it out in parts, pieces. At the same time, we keep some intermediate results “in mind” as long as we are dealing with them. As we move towards the final result, specific “worked out” material may be forgotten.

Motor memory

Motor memory is the memorization, storage and reproduction of various movements and their systems. There are people with a pronounced predominance of this type of memory over other types. One psychologist admitted that he was completely unable to reproduce a piece of music in his memory, and could only reproduce an opera he had recently heard as a pantomime. Other people, on the contrary, do not notice their motor memory at all. The great importance of this type of memory is that it serves as the basis for the formation of various practical and work skills, as well as the skills of walking, writing, etc. Without memory for movements, we would have to learn to carry out the appropriate actions every time. Usually a sign of good motor memory is a person’s physical dexterity, dexterity in work, “golden hands”.

Emotional memory

Emotional memory is memory for feelings. Emotions always signal how our needs are being met. Emotional memory is very important for human life. Feelings experienced and stored in memory appear as signals that either encourage action or deter action that caused a negative experience in the past. Empathy - the ability to sympathize, empathize with another person, the hero of a book, is based on emotional memory.

Figurative memory

Figurative memory - memory for ideas, pictures of nature and life, as well as sounds, smells, tastes. It can be visual, auditory, tactile, olfactory, gustatory. If visual and auditory memory, as a rule, are well developed, and play a leading role in the life orientation of all normal people, then tactile, olfactory and gustatory memory, in a certain sense, can be called professional types. Like the corresponding sensations, these types of memory develop especially intensively in connection with specific conditions of activity, reaching amazingly high level in conditions of compensation or replacement of missing types of memory, for example, in the blind, deaf, etc.

Verbal-logical memory

The content of verbal-logical memory is our thoughts. Thoughts do not exist without language, which is why memory for them is called not just logical, but verbal-logical. Since thoughts can be embodied in various linguistic forms, their reproduction can be oriented towards conveying either only the basic meaning of the material, or its literal verbal design. If in the latter case the material is not subject to semantic processing at all, then its literal memorization turns out to be no longer logical, but mechanical memorization.

Voluntary and involuntary memory

There is, however, a division of memory into types that is directly related to the characteristics of the actual activity itself. So, depending on the goals of the activity, memory is divided into involuntary and voluntary. Memorization and reproduction, in which there is no special goal to remember or remember something, is called involuntary memory; in cases where it is a purposeful process, we speak of voluntary memory. In the latter case, the processes of memorization and reproduction act as special mnemonic actions.

Involuntary and voluntary memory at the same time represent 2 successive stages of memory development. Everyone knows from experience what a huge place in our life occupies involuntary memory, on the basis of which, without special mnemonic intentions and efforts, the main part of our experience is formed, both in volume and in life significance. However, in human activity there often arises the need to manage one’s memory. In these conditions important role voluntary memory plays a role, making it possible to deliberately learn or remember what is necessary.