Week 9 - Impacts of short term memory

    Hello, welcome back to my blog! During week nine we had a continuation of the topic presented on week eight, but giving a more detailed focus to short term memory and its impact on learning. In the class we got divided in three groups to make an infographic about the assigned topic. 

    First, we went over the term “Short term memory” or STM as a general overview. STM also known as working memory, is a component of memory responsible for temporarily holding and manipulating information that is actively being processed. STM is essential for cognitive tasks such as comprehension, reasoning, decision-making, and problem-solving. It acts as a mental workspace where information is temporarily stored and processed before either being discarded or transferred to long-term memory for more permanent storage.

(Resource obtained from: https://www.verywellmind.com/great-ways-to-improve-your-memory-2795356)

    Enhance learning: 

    Short-term memory helps students hold multiple pieces of information in their minds simultaneously, allowing them to understand complex concepts by connecting new information with what they already know. For example, when learning math, students need to hold numbers, operations, and problem-solving strategies in their short-term memory to solve equations or word problems.

    Short-term memory enables students to remember and follow multi-step instructions, which is essential for tasks such as completing assignments, conducting experiments, or performing laboratory procedures accurately.

    Short-term memory is particularly crucial for language acquisition, as learners need to hold onto new vocabulary, grammar rules, and sentence structures while listening, speaking, reading, or writing in a foreign language.

    Impact of emotions on STM: 

    Emotionally charged stimuli tend to capture attention more effectively than neutral stimuli. This heightened attention can lead to better encoding of information into short-term memory. 

    The ability to regulate emotions can also affect memory. Effective emotion regulation strategies, such as reappraisal or suppression can impact memory encoding and retrieval. 

    Technology and memory: 

    The internet is now deeply embedded in everyday routines, embedded in everyday routines, influencing how people access influencing how people access information, interact socially, and information, interact socially, and express themselves. However, express themselves. However, there's a growing worry about there’s a growing worry about the potential effects of prolonged potential effects of prolonged internet use on cognitive functions internet use on cognitive functions and brain health. And brain health.

    Thank you for reading, hope you have an amazing day!

    Question for classmates: 

    How do you personally manage and optimize your short-term memory when studying or completing tasks that require holding and manipulating information in your mind?

    References:

    Terry, W. S. (1999). Learning and Memory: principles, processes, and procedures (5th ed.).

    Cambridge Dictionary. (2024). https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/memory