We previously discussed your senses. Now, your sensory input is the focus of your attention in working memory.
Jumping to the end of the line, the long-term memory and all its connections back and forth to your working memory: You are not a clean slate! Even when learning something completely new, you do it based on prior knowledge and skills. Before we can take on working memory, let’s look at long-term memory:
In long-term memory, you have “chunked” knowledge. For instance, you will hopefully find your methods for analysing the text so that you do not have to learn two topics simultaneously, thus altering the intrinsic cognitive load. This points to the backward arrow as “Preconception,” which you bring from your past to your present learning.
The long-term memory has (at least) four aspects important to learning:
- Semantic memory – the memory of general knowledge and facts.
- Episodic memory – the memory of your life events and experiences.
- Emotional memory – the memory of the emotions you felt during an experience.
- Procedural memory – how to perform a common task without actively thinking.
We have all four types of memory, but one or more are stronger and easier to access than the others. Which one(s) is yours?
My semantic memory is puzzling me. I remember stuff I haven’t considered for years: weird stuff, deep knowledge, and random facts. I would not be able to recall most of them intentionally; even my knowledge from academia seems to be implicit.
- But when my memory is scaffolded by placing a few key concepts on one of my mental “pictures”, I retrieve all relevant stuff from wherever it is retrieved.
My episodic memory is flawed. To remember, I need the exact right amount of emotions tied to the episodes. Otherwise, it is not accessible to me.
- When I got diagnosed, I brought my sister, 1½ years my junior, to answer questions regarding my childhood.
Occasionally, my procedural memory is absolute crap! It resembles “Groundhog Day” when I am practising a new habit. New habit = moderate amount of stress, because I have to use my focus to repeat the new habit deliberately. My existing habits, the one I am trying to relate the new habit to, crack up during that learning transition. A small example: For the last several decades, I have used public transportation for most of my everyday transportation needs, and last autumn, I took up yoga. Suddenly, I forgot some of my transportation routines, like going in the right direction and registering my entrance and exit of the bus or train…
- I practice, “Hey, the first eight times don’t count anyhow”, and after the second time, it is not a problem anymore.
Do you have hacks regarding long term memory I should write about?