Why do we need systems of memory?

This is the final part of a study of these two articles.

What are the differences between long-term, short-term, and working memory? By Nelson Cowan

50 years of research sparked by Atkinson and Shiffrin (1968) By Kenneth J. Malmberg & Jeroen G. W. Raaijmakers & Richard M. Shiffrin

Discussion

As in the title of one of the articles, it has been a long time since memory has been divided into groups.

These aren’t the original groups as they have been updated with more recent research. Long term memory has also been subdivided into several groups.

Why do we divide memory into groups?

There are a few reasons for this

1. The brain

The brain regions used in each memory system aren’t identical. Some brain regions may be active in all systems but others only for one of them.

One famous example is the medial temporal lobe which contains the hippocampus, amygdala and parahippocampal regions which is active in short term memory.

However, an individual named HM had a part of it removed. He was able to remember most of his past and had close to average cognitive abilities. His short term memory was also fine.

The problem was that he couldn’t create long term memories anymore. His memory was blocked at the point of the accident that led him to the operation.

This meant the role of the hippocampus was in the transition of short term memory to long term memory.

2. Functions

The different memory systems are all called “memories” although their functions are clearly different.

The sensory register is for perception of the environment ,

the short term memory is to keep track of what is happening in our heads and outside and

the long term memory is where all our experiences and knowledge is stored.

The information in each also moves from system to system in a specific way.

Information in the sensory register moves to short term memory once we pay a little more attention to it than other items we perceive.

That can then move onto the long term memory if we think about it repeatedly, not necessarily in the same form each time.

The long term memory can also send information to the short term memory to be used in problem solving, creative thinking etc.

3. Research

Ultimately, these divisions are to clarify the concept of memory and make it easier to study.

A world where none of these distinctions exist would lead to confusion as some researchers could use the term “memory” to talk about short term memory in a paper and others could think of it as long term memory. Making the discovery wrong.

Why study the different systems of memory ?

This has a pretty simple answer.

Studying memory and finding out how it works and what it is made of will help us understand the problems it can have and treat them and also how we can improve it.

The ability of complex thinking is one of the traits that distinguishes humans and other living beings.

We may think, long term memory that provides information for it would be the only one we should study.

However, short term memory is where the thinking happens and is also a stage information needs to go through to arrive to the long term memory.

The sensory register is what enables us to react to the world and collect information that may or may not be stored longer.

For long term memory and thinking, all stages of memory are necessary. The systems are all completely different but in the same time, are all a part of one thing.

Which is the reason to study that one thing which is memory.

First part : Memory, from fractions of a second to an eternity. Also is memory = intelligence?

Second part : When does short term memory become long term?

Third part : How much can we keep in short term memory ?