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Six reasons your memory is stranger than you think
Your memory depends on context
If we learn facts while we are doing something, we will be able to recall them better, when we are doing that same thing again.
You can use this information to your advantage: for instance, try chewing a particular gum while studying.
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Early memories
Scientists believe that it is impossible to recall the first few years of life. Many of the necessary brain structures for memory have not yet matured at the time. It means that it is physiologically impossible for your brain to remember personal events from infancy.
Any recollections are patched together from other knowledge we acquired later on.
Your memory depends on context
If we learn facts while we are doing something, we will be able to recall them better, when we are doing that same thing again.
You can use this information to your advantage: for instance, try chewing a particular gum while studying.
Your mental timeline is skewed
Research has shown that we often underestimate the amount of time that has passed from long ago, and overestimate the amount of time that has passed since more recent events.
The overall impression
Try to describe a person in detail, and you will find that you remember their general features, but the particular details are challenging to recall.
Remembering the overall impression is an advantage. The details of a face may change from day to day, but the general features will remain - meaning that you can still recognize your friend even with a different hairstyle.
People overestimate their memory
Many people believe their memory is better than average. We forget the times our memory has failed us, and prefer to recall all the times it succeeded. Then we proceed to assume next time we will be accurate.
Subscription services can take advantage of this by offering a free trial for a limited period, after which automatic payments will be made. Many people forget to cancel their subscription.
Digital amnesia
Posts from Facebook and Instagram can help us to retain certain events. Yet, our memories distort the past events by remembering only the details we recalled and forgetting the information linked to it.
It may make some memories seem more meaningful and memorable than they actually were.
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Childhood Memories
Memory is essentially an activation of neural networks inside the brain, which are dynamic in nature.
While we treasure our earliest childhood memories, feeling nostalgic about what we remem...
Memory Distortion
We all can form complex false memories in us, and it can even impact our decision making and future behavior. Planting false memories in a person can be used to tackle certain disorders like obesity and alcoholism.
Memory researchers have concluded that it is possible to induce fictional memories of the past in volunteers and even make them believe in some past criminal deed that never happened.
Legal Issues
False memories are a challenge in legal cases, as they are indistinguishable from real memories, with any distortion being undetectable.
Certain regression therapies where patients confront their buried childhood memories are prone to ‘implantation’ of false memories in their minds.
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Memory cues
They are objects or events that help trigger an action or a memory of that action.
They can be either intentional (a reminder on our phone) or unintentional
Different types of memory cues
- Internal memory cues are patterns of thinking that help trigger a specific memory. For example, mental imagery, which involves visualizing a certain scene happening, can serve as an internal reminder of an event that happened.
- External memory cues are objects or events that trigger a memory that they are associated with. For example, a glass of water next to your bed is an external reminder to drink water when you wake up.
Example of exernal cues
- To remember to floss your teeth, put the box with the floss on top of your tube of toothpaste.
- To remember to take a pill each morning, put the pills next to whatever you usually eat for breakfast.
- To start the day by writing, put a piece of paper with a reminder on top of your keyboard.
- You can use your watch as a reminder to take things easy, so that every time you look at it you remember to relax a little.
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Smartphones: A Memory Replacement
The smartphone has partially replaced our memory, helping us recall information like birthdays, deadlines, contact details and to-do lists. These are the things we relied on our memory for, but now...
How Your Mind Registers Information
To use your memory, you need to figure out how your mind registers information. It can be in writing or audio/visual format. It’s important to leave technology behind and focus on the individual or group in front of you.
- When we get introduced to someone or meet them for the first time, repeat their name often in your conversation.
- Do not hide behind your laptop taking notes during a meeting.
- Make it a game to remember people's names as you walk by the office.
What We Avoid Doing Might Help Us
The boring, routine work that is often delegated to others is a memory-enhancing goldmine.
Repetitive tasks like organizing information, digitizing an old contact list, inputting information manually on a laptop or PC, which leaders would normally delegate to others, can aid us in recalling information and memory consolidation.
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