Memory and Brain Mechanisms The human brain is an incredible organ that keeps the heart pumping and allows a person to kick a ball. The brain is important to allow a person to read, to solve problems, and to connect with other people. Memory is an essential function of the brain for a person to live, learn, and interact with others. Working memory and long-term memory, how memories are formed and maintained, and memory problems are all a part of the brain’s everyday functions. Working memory is the very first part to storing memories long-term. Working memory is brief and immediate memory for the material that is currently being processed. Part of it allows for a few items to be active and accessible for a variety of cognitive tasks (Matlin,
…show more content…
Working memory helps a person remember what is written at the beginning of a sentence by the time they reach the end of it And it helps to remember spatial an visual information, coordinates cognitive activities, and plans strategies (Matlin, 2013). In contrast, long-term memory has a large capacity that contains memories for experiences accumulated over a lifetime, which includes encoding, retrieval, and autobiographical memory (Matlin, 2013). There is no limit on the amount of information long-term memory can hold. Working memory and long-term memory work together to store memories long-term and to forget some of the great amount of information that is presented each day. Working memory moves into long-term memory when the person wants to retain the information for future retrieval (Lecture 3, 2016). Problems may occur with encoding and retrieving that causes memories to be inaccurate. In an emotionally arousing state, things that are noticeable in awareness tend to stand out and become high priority information that becomes even more memorable than low priority information, that is reduced in processing (Mather & Sutherland, 2012). If a person receives a phone call while driving that a loved one …show more content…
From the time a child is born, they begin to remember who his or her parents are and if they are in a large crowd, they can quickly find them and find safety. Memory allows a child to learn the social cues and behaviors within his or her environment. It is adaptive to remember in order to know where one works, lives and to pay the bills or to pick up the children from school. It also may be adaptive to forget. Trauma such as childhood sexual abuse may present a situation where the child is so overwhelmed by the abuse that it could impair functioning, especially if the abuser is the caretaker. This disassociation may protect the child during the abuse. Trauma can include childhood abuse, being in a natural disaster, or witnessing a person or self being threatened to be killed or hurt. In the long-term, trauma may cause disassociation or posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) when unrelated or small stressors arise. About 11%-20% of returning veterans from war have PTSD (U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, 2015). This can impair functioning in everyday life when the threat of the event is no longer around. Studies show that people with PTSD have difficulties in attention, poor concentration, working memory, and learning new things (American Psychological Association, 2002). Beneficial coping skills include cognitive rehabilitation. This rehabilitation is structured to maximize the individual’s internal strengths, such as their
Working memory helps a person remember what is written at the beginning of a sentence by the time they reach the end of it And it helps to remember spatial an visual information, coordinates cognitive activities, and plans strategies (Matlin, 2013). In contrast, long-term memory has a large capacity that contains memories for experiences accumulated over a lifetime, which includes encoding, retrieval, and autobiographical memory (Matlin, 2013). There is no limit on the amount of information long-term memory can hold. Working memory and long-term memory work together to store memories long-term and to forget some of the great amount of information that is presented each day. Working memory moves into long-term memory when the person wants to retain the information for future retrieval (Lecture 3, 2016). Problems may occur with encoding and retrieving that causes memories to be inaccurate. In an emotionally arousing state, things that are noticeable in awareness tend to stand out and become high priority information that becomes even more memorable than low priority information, that is reduced in processing (Mather & Sutherland, 2012). If a person receives a phone call while driving that a loved one …show more content…
From the time a child is born, they begin to remember who his or her parents are and if they are in a large crowd, they can quickly find them and find safety. Memory allows a child to learn the social cues and behaviors within his or her environment. It is adaptive to remember in order to know where one works, lives and to pay the bills or to pick up the children from school. It also may be adaptive to forget. Trauma such as childhood sexual abuse may present a situation where the child is so overwhelmed by the abuse that it could impair functioning, especially if the abuser is the caretaker. This disassociation may protect the child during the abuse. Trauma can include childhood abuse, being in a natural disaster, or witnessing a person or self being threatened to be killed or hurt. In the long-term, trauma may cause disassociation or posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) when unrelated or small stressors arise. About 11%-20% of returning veterans from war have PTSD (U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, 2015). This can impair functioning in everyday life when the threat of the event is no longer around. Studies show that people with PTSD have difficulties in attention, poor concentration, working memory, and learning new things (American Psychological Association, 2002). Beneficial coping skills include cognitive rehabilitation. This rehabilitation is structured to maximize the individual’s internal strengths, such as their