Memory and what it is connected with. What is memory. Types of memory. memory processes. memory qualities. Performance. Relationship between memory and recall

Human memory is an amazing gift that nature has given to people. Thanks to it, we can accumulate life experience and subsequently use it for our own benefit. A person deprived of memory is helpless in this world, because every moment will be a discovery for him, but it will bring benefit and satisfaction. There are situations in which a person's memory deteriorates: we forget what happened recently. The disease may develop due to an earlier pathology in life. But if you have a poor memory from birth, do not worry: it can be developed.

What it is?

Human memory is considered as a subject of study within the framework of psychology. This is a person's ability to accumulate and store information. On the other hand, in psychology, memory is defined as the ability to reproduce experiences, emotions from the past, to recall the former location of an object, etc. But most importantly, memory allows us to store the accumulated information about this world.

We know that the brain consists of two hemispheres. Thus, memory is studied not only in psychology, but also within the framework of physiology. It contains over 20 billion interconnected cells. The right hemisphere is responsible for emotions, feelings, and the left for logical thinking. However, until now, scientists do not know exactly where a person's memory is located and how the stored information is memorized.

To determine what kind of memory a person has and why it is needed, indicators should be derived according to the following characteristics of this property. general characteristics and the classification of memory in the field of psychology will depend on the parameters. Here are their main types, characteristics and general classification:

• Volume. It is very difficult to measure the total memory capacity of an adult, since in life we ​​use only 4-10% of our brain resources. On average, the capacity of short-term memory can be 7 units of information. However, human capabilities are much greater, as they say in psychology. Researcher L.I. Kupriyanovich calculated that the amount of human memory is 125 million megabytes or more. But only 1% of humanity uses its memory to its fullest extent. Such people are considered geniuses. For example, Mozart could listen to a piece of music only once and then write down its score without errors. Alexander the Great could call all his warriors by name. But the amazing thing is that the memory capacity of any person allows you to show the same phenomenal abilities.
• Memory speed. Depends on the degree of memory training. It is different for all people.
• Accuracy. It depends on how correctly a person can reproduce the facts that he has memorized.
• duration. Some people remember quickly, but remember for a short time, while others for a lifetime. The duration of memory is also individual. It should also be taken into account that there different types memory for the duration of information storage. Short-term memory is a type that allows you to remember information for a short time. Long-term memory as a species is different in that it allows you to remember information for a long time, sometimes for a lifetime. Depending on which memory a person uses and trains more, this type determines the duration of memorization.
• Ready to reproduce. Sometimes it happens that a person taught, experienced, remembered, but at the right moment he cannot remember known facts. There is memory, but it does not reproduce events. Thus, its role in human life seems to be reduced to nothing.

Main types

There are main types of memory depending on the characteristics:

• Classification by the nature of the goal: arbitrary and involuntary. Using involuntary memory, we remember automatically. With the participation of arbitrary memory, it is necessary to make efforts, to apply the will.
• Classification by way of memorization and character mental activity: motor (or kinetic), emotional, figurative, visual, auditory, tactile, verbal-logical and logical. These types of memory correspond to a certain way of remembering: with the help of movements, words, logical calculations, visual perception, images, etc.

Special mention should be made of such basic types of memory as short-term and long-term. Short-term memory is characterized by information stored for 20 seconds. Memorization occurs after a brief perception of an object or information. The most important thing is remembered, but with the aim of reproduction in the future, which is the role of this species.

The amount of short-term memory is very individual. According to scientists, this is 7-9 units. However, today's scientists say that this parameter is too exaggerated. And we should talk about 3-4 units. This is where the replacement process takes place. If short-term memory fills up, new information replaces previous information, causing some of the previously learned information to disappear. For example, the surname and first names of many people with whom we used to know are leaving and being replaced by new ones. If you want to keep them in your memory, you need to make an effort of will.

What are the functions and purpose of short-term memory, it is not difficult to guess. It is necessary to process a huge amount of information that arrives daily. The unnecessary is immediately removed, as a result, a person can avoid overloading the brain.

The functions and purpose of long-term memory are directly opposite. Long-term memory stores information indefinitely. But in order to retain a certain amount of information for a long time, the necessary information must be constantly reproduced. There is a direct relationship between the preservation of information and its reproduction. Since much information is remote from the present moment, it is necessary to make sure that they are always “at hand”. Only in this way will long-term memory be able to preserve them.

There is another type of memory - operational. Its functions and purpose are to store information for a certain period of time, limited by the task. If the task is completed and the information is no longer needed, it is deleted. For example, a student who is studying material for an exam will remember little of what they learned after passing. This is due to the action of RAM: the task was completed, the information was deleted.

Laws

The general characterization and classification of memory will be incomplete without mentioning its basic laws. They help people improve memory by using some patterns. This is their role and purpose:

• Interest. Everything that is remembered, a person should be interesting.
• Making sense. For an adult and a child, it is important how deeply the problem is considered.
• Installation. If a person has set himself the goal of assimilating the amount of information. He will definitely do it.
• Action. If knowledge is used practically, memorization is accelerated. Practice plays a big role in memory processes.
• Context. The new is learned in context with the old information.
• Braking. The new information overlaps the old.
• Optimal row length. This is a series of objects or phenomena that need to be remembered. The row should not exceed the amount of short-term memory.
• Edge. Features of memory are such that what is remembered better is what is at the beginning and at the end.
• Repetition. If information is repeated several times, it will be remembered better. Incompletion. If the action is not completed, the phrase is left unsaid, it will be better remembered.

To increase the amount of memory and memorability, it is enough to know these laws and apply them to your own benefit.

Processes

A general description of memory in the field of psychology mentions the processes of memory. Here are the main ones, their classification and characteristics:

• Memorization. It consists in comprehending, capturing, perceiving and experiencing new elements. The main thing to remember is to establish the relationship between the elements and link them into one.
• Storage. These features of memory allow you to save the received material, process it and master it. Thanks to the stored information, a person can navigate in environment and don't waste your experience. Long-term memory is responsible for this, which is its role and purpose.
• reproduction and recognition. These features allow you to remember the information at the right time and apply it in practice. In reality, a previously seen object or phenomenon is recognized and related by the brain to events from past experience.
• Forgetting. This is a loss of playback capability. The functions and purpose of forgetting are not to overload the brain and periodically clear it of unnecessary information.

These basic functions determine the ability of memory to retain information for some time.

The general characteristic of memory distinguishes several more of its varieties. This classification is associated with a different orientation of memory:

• Visual - its role in our life is to store visual images.
• Motor - its role is to remember previous physical actions.
• Episodic - can be long-term, but is mainly associated with episodes from our lives.
• Semantic - can also be long-term, but is associated with knowledge of facts or verbal meanings. It is thanks to her that the multiplication table is kept in our memory all our lives.
• Procedural is knowledge about how to perform some actions, or, more simply, algorithms.
• Topographic - allows you to navigate in space and remember the places we have already been.

The general characteristics and classification of memory allowed scientists to develop some exercises to develop and increase its volume.

Basic mnemonic techniques and exercises

Techniques and exercises developed by scientists allow you to develop memory and increase its volume. Here are some of these exercises:

• Try to remember the initial letters in the phrase, and then reproduce it using them.
• Compose poems.
• Remember terms and long words using consonant familiar words.
• Connect figurative associations.
• Train your visual memory by memorizing images.
• Memorize numbers using patterns or familiar dates and combinations.

This simple general scheme of exercises will quickly develop memory of various types.

Why can memory deteriorate?

There are many people who suffer from memory disorders of various kinds. We know that memory impairment can occur after a serious illness, as a result of injury or with age. Sclerosis (blockage of cerebral vessels), neurological diseases, skull injuries, congenital malformations nervous system and the brain affect the quality of memorization.

If the memory disorder is caused by a disease, it is necessary to undergo medical treatment. Only after that it can be partially restored, although doctors never give an exact guarantee.

Age-related changes in the body also do not add health. To keep all types of memory “alive”, you need to constantly train them. For this purpose, crosswords, board games, riddles, Japanese puzzles are perfect. Exercise is very beneficial for children.

How can memory be improved?

In addition to the mentioned mnemonics techniques, there are many ways to improve memory and increase its volume. Here is a general outline of what needs to be done to improve memory:

• Don't be lazy. Memory must be constantly trained, otherwise there will be no result.
• If you forgot something, do not try to immediately look into a book or reference book. Try to remember on your own.
• When reading books, then try to retell the content to someone close, naming all, even the most insignificant heroes. Do not lose sight of the small events in the book.
• Learn by heart verses, the order of numbers (for example, telephones). If you have a child who is in school, you can play a race with him: who will learn the poem faster.
• Work with numbers more often, solve problems. Mathematics has a great effect not only on logical thinking, but also on memory.
• Try to always learn something new and reproduce information after a while. See how soon your memory improves.
• Recall the events of the previous day, what happened a week ago. Such training will quickly increase memory capacity and force short-term memory to translate information into long-term memory.
• Learn languages. In addition to benefiting your own mental development, you will also benefit your memory. Learn at least 6-7 new words per day from any language in the world.
• Be positive. Do not think that you are constantly forgetting something. Think that you remember everything, and you really do.
• Perceive information with all senses. If you need to remember something, come up with associations. It can be a smell, a taste, a picture, an action that is associated with an event or an object. Subsequently, remembering the association, you will be able to restore the necessary information in memory.
• Decide logical tasks. Although puzzles improve thinking processes, they also have a beneficial effect on memory processes.
• Table. This is a proven way to train attention, memory and observation. In it, numbers from 1 to 20 are collected and scattered in a different order and written in different fonts. The task is to remember them or find them in a certain amount of time.

The quality of the types of memory is greatly influenced by the daily routine that you adhere to. There are several rules for organizing the regime that will always keep an excellent memory:

• Get good sleep. Lack of sleep contributes to the disorder of memory and thinking. Full sleep should be at least 7-8 hours.
• Go in for sports, walk more often. Fresh air, physical exercises promote blood flow to the brain, improve blood circulation, increase memory capacity.
• Have breakfast. You can not memorize information on an empty stomach. The brain needs food, because it consumes up to 20% of the total energy of the body.
• Fall in love. Love relationships, even just being in love, sharpen feelings, including memory.
• Get rid of the routine. Repeating the same actions daily dulls the memory. Try to change something in your life. In psychology, it is argued that even the smallest changes improve a person's condition. So, if you traditionally start your day with a cup of coffee, try replacing it with juice or another drink now. What changes can sharpen the senses.
• Eat right. There are foods that help improve memory. For example, a mint leaf put in tea, soy, citrus fruits are great foods to stimulate your memory.
• Play computer games occasionally. Here it is worth emphasizing the word "sometimes", since their passion does not negatively affect the psyche. However, 1-2 puzzle games per week will not hurt.
• Listen to music. Everything that awakens our senses affects our memory. Music most of all can awaken emotions in us. It is thanks to her that we can improve our thinking.
• Take life with interest. We remember what interests us. If a person is indifferent to everything, then the memory stops working. Live with interest, then it will have something to remember.

Memory is a great gift of nature and it must be protected. Keep your memory, and you will have a rich and bright life until the end of days.

What is memory

What we feel and perceive does not disappear without a trace, everything is remembered to one degree or another. Excitations going to the brain from external and internal stimuli leave “traces” in it that can persist for many years. These "traces" (combinations of nerve cells) create the possibility of excitation even when the stimulus that caused it is absent. Based on this, a person can remember and save, and subsequently reproduce his feelings, perceptions of any objects, thought, speech, actions.

Just like sensation and perception, memory is a process of reflection, and not only that which acts directly on the senses is reflected, but also that which took place in the past.

Memory- this is the memorization, preservation and subsequent reproduction of what we previously perceived, experienced or did. In other words, memory is a reflection of a person's experience by remembering, preserving and reproducing it.

Memory is an amazing property of human consciousness, it is the renewal in our minds of the past, images of what once made an impression on us.

In my old age I live again, The past passes before me. How long has it been rushing full of events, Waving like a sea-ocean?

Now it is silent and calm, Not many faces have been preserved by my memory, Few words reach me, And the rest has perished irrevocably...

A.S. Pushkin."Boris Godunov"

No other mental function can be carried out without the participation of memory. And memory itself is unthinkable outside of other mental processes. THEM. Sechenov noted that without memory, our sensations and perceptions, "disappearing without a trace as they arise, would leave a person forever in the position of a newborn."

Imagine a person who has lost his memory. The student was awakened in the morning, told to have breakfast and go to class. Most likely, he would not have come to the institute, and if he had, he would not have known what to do there, he would have forgotten who he is, what his name is, where he lives, etc., he would have forgotten native language and couldn't say a word. The past would no longer exist for him, the present would be unpromising, since he can remember nothing, cannot learn anything.

Remembering any images, thoughts, words, feelings, movements, we always remember them in a certain connection with each other. Without the establishment of certain connections, neither memorization, nor recognition, nor reproduction is possible. What does it mean to memorize a poem? This means memorizing a series of words in a certain connection, sequence. What does it mean to remember some foreign word, like the French "la table"? It means to establish a connection between this word and the subject that it denotes, or the Russian word "table". The connections that underlie the activity of memory are called associations. Association is a relationship between separate views in which one of these views calls another.

Objects or phenomena connected in reality are connected in the memory of a person. To remember something means to connect what is remembered with something, to weave what needs to be remembered into a network of already existing connections, to form associations.

There are a few types of associations:

- by adjacency: the perception or thought of one object or phenomenon entails the recall of other objects and phenomena adjacent to the first in space or time (this is how a sequence of actions is remembered, for example);

- similarity: images of objects, phenomena or their thoughts evoke a memory of something similar to them. These associations underlie poetic metaphors, for example, the sound of the waves is likened to the speech of people;

- by contrast: sharply different phenomena are associated - noise and silence, high and low, good and evil, white and black, etc.

Various associations are involved in the process of memorization and reproduction. For example, we recall the surname of a familiar person, a) passing near the house in which he lives, b) meeting someone who looks like him, c) naming another surname derived from a word that is opposite in meaning to that from which the surname comes an acquaintance, for example, Belov - Chernov.

In the process of memorization and reproduction, semantic connections play an exceptionally important role: cause - effect, the whole - its part, the general - the particular.

Memory connects a person's past with his present, ensures the unity of the individual. A person needs to know a lot and remember a lot, more and more every year of life. Books, records, tape recorders, cards in libraries, computers help a person to remember, but the main thing is his own memory.

In Greek mythology, there is the goddess of memory, Mnemosyne (or Mnemosyne, from the Greek word for "remembrance"). By the name of its goddess, memory in psychology is often called mnemonic activity.

In scientific psychology, the problem of memory is “the same age as psychology as a science” (P.P. Blonsky). Memory is the most complex mental process, therefore, despite its numerous studies, a unified theory of memory mechanisms has not yet been created. New scientific evidence shows that memory processes are associated with complex electrical and chemical changes in the nerve cells of the brain.

Types of memory

The forms of manifestation of memory are very diverse, since it is associated with various spheres of human life, with its characteristics.

All types of memory can be divided into three groups:

1) what a person remembers (objects and phenomena, thoughts, movements, feelings).

Accordingly, they distinguish: motor, emotional, verbal-logical and aboutdifferent memory;

2) how a person remembers (accidentally or intentionally). Here allocate arbitrary and involuntary memory;

3) how long memorized is preserved.

it short term, long term and operational memory.

Motor (or motor) memory allows you to memorize skills, skills, various movements and actions. If this type of memory did not exist, then every time a person would have to re-learn how to walk, write, and perform various activities.

emotional memory helps to remember the feelings, emotions, experiences that we experienced in certain situations. Here is how A.S. Pushkin:

I thought my heart had forgotten The ability to suffer easily, I said: what was, Can't be! Not to be! Gone are raptures and sorrows, And gullible dreams...

But here again they trembled Before the powerful power of beauty.

K.S. Stanislavsky wrote about emotional memory: “Since you are able to turn pale, blush at the mere recollection of what you have experienced, since you are afraid to think about a long-experienced misfortune, you have a memory for feelings, or emotional memory.”

Emotional memory has great importance in the formation of a person's personality, being the most important condition for his spiritual development.

Semantic, or verbal-logical memory is expressed in the memorization, preservation and reproduction of thoughts, concepts, reflections, verbal formulations. The form of thought reproduction depends on the level speech development person. The less developed speech, the more difficult it is to express the meaning in your own words.

Image memory.

This type of memory is associated with our sense organs, thanks to which a person perceives the world. According to our senses, there are 5 types of figurative memory: auditory, visual, olfactory, gustatory, tactile. These types of figurative memory are unevenly developed in humans, one of them is always predominant.

Arbitrary memory presupposes the presence of a special goal to remember, which a person sets and applies appropriate techniques for this, makes strong-willed efforts.

involuntary memory does not imply a special purpose to remember or recall this or that material, event, phenomenon, they are remembered as if by themselves, without the use of special techniques, without willpower efforts. Involuntary memory is an inexhaustible source of knowledge. In the development of memory random memorization precedes arbitrary. It is very important to understand that a person involuntarily remembers not everything, but what is connected with his personality and activities. First of all, we involuntarily remember what we like, what we accidentally paid attention to, what we actively and enthusiastically work on.

Therefore, involuntary memory also has an active character. Animals already have involuntary memory. However, “the animal remembers, but the animal does not remember. In man, we clearly distinguish both these phenomena of memory” (K. Ushinsky). The best way remember and keep in memory for a long time - apply knowledge in practice. In addition, memory does not want to keep in mind that which is contrary to the attitudes of the individual.

Short-term and long-term memory.

These two types of memory differ in the duration of the preservation of what a person remembers. Short-term memory has a relatively short duration - a few seconds or minutes. It is sufficient for the exact reproduction of the events that have just occurred, the objects and phenomena that have just been perceived. After a short time, the impressions disappear, and the person usually finds himself unable to remember anything from what he has perceived. Long-term memory provides long-term storage of material. What is important here is the setting to remember for a long time, the need for this information for the future, their personal significance for a person.

Allocate more operational memory, which refers to the memorization of some information for the time required to perform an operation, a separate act of activity. For example, in the process of solving any problem, it is necessary to keep in memory the initial data and intermediate operations, which can be forgotten in the future, until the result is obtained.

In the process of human development, the relative sequence of the formation of types of memory looks something like this:

All types of memory are necessary and valuable in themselves; in the process of life and maturation of a person, they do not disappear, but enrich, interact with each other.

Memory processes

The main processes of memory are memorization, reproduction, preservation, recognition, forgetting. By the nature of reproduction, the quality of the entire memory apparatus is judged.

Memory begins with remembering. memorization- this is a memory process that ensures the preservation of material in memory as the most important condition for its subsequent reproduction.

Memorization can be unintentional or intentional. At unintentional memorization a person does not set a goal to remember and does not make any efforts for this. Memorization happens by itself. This is how one remembers mainly that which is of vital interest to a person or evokes a strong and deep feeling in him: “I will never forget this!” But any activity requires a person to remember many things that cannot be remembered by themselves. Then comes into effect intentional, conscious memorization, i.e. the goal is to remember the material.

Memorization can be mechanical and semantic. Rote is based mainly on the consolidation of individual connections, associations. Semantic memorization associated with thought processes. To remember new material, a person must understand it, comprehend it, i.e. find deep and meaningful relationships between this new material and the knowledge he already has.

If the main condition for mechanical memorization is repetition, then the condition for semantic memorization is understanding.

Both mechanical and semantic memorization are of great importance in the mental life of a person. When memorizing proofs of a geometric theorem or analyzing historical events, literary work semantic memorization comes to the fore. In other cases, remember the number of the house, telephone, etc. - the main role belongs to mechanical memorization. In most cases, memory must rely on both comprehension and repetition. This is especially evident in academic work. For example, when memorizing a poem or any rule, understanding alone cannot be enough, just as mechanical repetition cannot be enough.

If memorization has the character of a specially organized work associated with the use of certain techniques for the best assimilation of knowledge, it is called memorization.

memorization depends:

a) on the nature of the activity, on the processes of goal-setting: arbitrary memorization, based on a consciously set goal - to remember, is more effective than involuntary;

b) from the installation - remember for a long time or remember for a short time.

We often start to memorize some material, knowing that in all probability we will use it only on a certain day or until a certain date, and that then it will not matter. Indeed, after this period, we forget what we have learned by heart.

Emotionally colored material is better memorized, to which a person relates with an interest that is personally significant for him. Such a memory is motivated.

This is very convincingly shown in the story of K. Paustovsky "Glory to Boatswain Mironov":

“... And then an unusual story happened to the boatswain Mironov in the editorial office of Mayak ...

I don't remember who - the People's Commissariat for Foreign Affairs or Vneshtorg - asked the editors to provide all the information about Russian ships taken abroad. You need to know that the entire merchant fleet was taken away in order to understand how difficult it was.

And when we sat through the hot Odessa days over the ship's lists, when the editorial office was sweating from stress and recalling the old captains, when exhaustion from the confusion of new shipping names, flags, tons and deadweights reached its highest tension, Mironov appeared in the editorial office.

Drop it, he said. - So you won't get a damn thing.

I will speak and you write. Write! The Jerusalem steamer is now sailing under the French flag from Marseille to Madagascar, chartered by the French company Paquet, French crew, captain Borisov, all our boatswains, the underwater part has not been cleaned since 1917. Keep writing. Steamship "Muravyov-Apostol", now renamed "Anatole". Sailing under the English flag, hauling bread from Montreal to Liverpool and London, chartered by Royal Mail Canada.

This went on for three days. For three days from morning to evening, smoking cigarettes, he dictated a list of all the ships of the Russian merchant fleet, called their new names, the names of the captains, flights, the state of the boilers, the composition of the crew, cargo. The captains just shook their heads. Marine Odessa was agitated. The rumor about the monstrous memory of the boatswain Mironov spread with lightning speed ... "

An active attitude to the process of memorization is very important, which is impossible without intense attention. For memorization, it is more useful to read the text with full concentration of attention 2 times than to reread it inattentively 10 times. Therefore, attempts to memorize something in a state of severe fatigue, drowsiness, when it is not possible to focus attention properly, is a waste of time. The worst and most uneconomical way of memorization is to mechanically reread the text in anticipation of it being memorized. Reasonable and economical memorization is active work on the text, which involves the use of a number of techniques for better memorization.

V.D. Shadrikov, for example, offers the following ways of arbitrary or organized memorization:

Grouping - dividing the material into groups for some reason (by meaning, associations, etc.), highlighting strong points (abstracts, titles, questions, examples, etc., in this sense, compiling cheat sheets is useful for remembering ), plan - a set of strong points; classification - the distribution of any objects, phenomena, concepts into classes, groups based on common features.

Structuring the material is the establishment of the mutual arrangement of the parts that make up the whole.

Schematic - a picture or description of something in general terms.

Analogy - the establishment of similarities, similarities between phenomena, objects, concepts, images.

Mnemic techniques are certain techniques or methods of memorization.

Recoding - verbalization or pronunciation, presentation of information in a figurative form.

Completing the memorized material, introducing something new into memorization (using words or intermediary images, situational signs, etc. For example, M.Yu. Lermontov was born in 1814, died in 1841).

Associations establishing relationships by similarity, adjacencies or opposites.

Repetition consciously controlled and not controlled processes of material reproduction. It is necessary to start trying to reproduce the text as early as possible, since internal activity mobilizes attention to the strongest degree and makes memorization successful. Memorization is carried out faster and is more durable when repetitions do not follow one another directly, but are separated by more or less significant intervals of time.

Playback is an essential component of memory. Reproduction can proceed at three levels: recognition, reproduction itself (voluntary and involuntary), recall (in conditions of partial forgetting, requiring volitional effort).

Recognition- the most simple form playback. Recognition is the appearance of a feeling of familiarity when re-perceiving something.

Involuntarily, an unknown force draws me to these sad shores.

Everything here reminds me of the past...

A.S. Pushkin."Mermaid"

Playback- a more "blind" process, it is characterized by the fact that the images fixed in the memory arise without relying on the secondary perception of certain objects. It is easier to learn than to reproduce.

At unintentional reproduction thoughts, words, etc. are remembered by themselves, without any conscious intention on our part. The reason for unintentional playback may be associations. We say: "I remembered." Here thought follows association. At intentional reproduction we say, "I remember." Here the associations follow the thought.

If reproduction is difficult, we speak of recall.

Remembrance- the most active reproduction, it is associated with tension and requires certain volitional efforts. The success of recall depends on the understanding of the logical connection of the forgotten material with the rest of the material that is well preserved in the memory. It is important to evoke a chain of associations that indirectly help to recall the necessary. K.D. Ushinsky gave the following advice to teachers: do not impatiently prompt a student who is trying to remember the material, since the process of recall itself is useful - what the child himself managed to remember will be remembered well in the future.

Remembering, a person uses various techniques:

1) intentional use of associations - we reproduce in memory various kinds of circumstances that are directly related to what needs to be remembered, in the expectation that by association they will cause the forgotten in the mind (for example, where did I put the key? turned off I iron, leaving the apartment?, etc.);

2) reliance on recognition (they forgot the exact patronymic of a person - Pyotr Andreevich, Pyotr Alekseevich, Pyotr Antonovich - we think that if we accidentally get to the correct patronymic, we will immediately recognize him, having experienced a feeling of familiarity.

Recall is a complex and very active process that requires perseverance and resourcefulness.

The main of all the qualities that determine the productivity of memory is its readiness - the ability to quickly extract from the stock of memorized information exactly what is needed at the moment. Psychologist K.K. Platonov drew attention to that. that there are l RODI who know a LOT, but all their baggage lies in the memory of a dead weight. When you need to remember something, the necessary is always forgotten, and the unnecessary “gets into your head by itself.” For others, the luggage may be smaller, but everything is at hand in it, and exactly what is needed is always reproduced in memory.

K.K. Platonov gave helpful tips for memorization. You can’t first learn something somehow at all, and then develop the readiness of memory. The readiness of memory itself is formed in the process of memorization, which must necessarily be semantic and during which links are immediately established between memorization and those cases when this information may be needed. Remembering something, you need to understand why we do it and in what cases certain information may be needed.

Saving and forgetting- it's two sides single process long-term retention of perceived information. Preservation - is retention, and forgetting - it is a disappearance, a dropping out of the memory of the memorized.

At different ages, in different life circumstances, in different activities, different material is forgotten, as one remembers, in different ways. Forgetting isn't always so bad. How overloaded our memory would be if we remembered absolutely everything! Forgetting, like memorization, is a selective process that has its own patterns.

Remembering, people willingly resurrect the good and forget the bad in their lives (for example, remembering a campaign - difficulties are forgotten, but everything fun, good is remembered). First of all, what is forgotten is that which is not of vital importance for a person, does not arouse his interest, does not occupy a significant place in his activity. What excited us is remembered much better than what left us indifferent, indifferent.

Thanks to forgetting, a person clears the place for new impressions and, freeing memory from a pile of unnecessary details, gives it new opportunity serve our mind. This is well reflected in folk proverbs, for example: "Whoever needs someone, that one is remembered."

In the late 1920s, forgetting was studied by the German and Russian psychologists Kurt Lewin and B.V. Zeigarnik. They proved that interrupted actions are retained in memory more strongly than completed ones. An incomplete action leaves a subconscious tension in a person and it is difficult for him to focus on something else. At the same time, simple monotonous work like knitting cannot be interrupted, it can only be left. But when, for example, a person writes a letter and is interrupted in the middle, there is a violation of the tension system, which does not allow forgetting this unfinished action. This sensation of unfinished action is called the Zeigarnik effect.

But forgetting, of course, is not always good, so it is often fought with. One of the means of such struggle is repetition. Any knowledge that is not consolidated by repetition is gradually forgotten. But for better preservation, it is necessary to introduce variety into the very process of repetition.

Forgetting begins shortly after memorization and at first proceeds at a particularly rapid pace. In the first 5 days, more is forgotten after memorization than in the next 5 days. Therefore, what has been learned should be repeated not when it has already been forgotten, but while forgetting has not yet begun. A cursory repetition is enough to prevent forgetting, but a lot of work is needed to restore what has been forgotten.

But this is not always the case. Experiments show that it is not uncommon for reproduction to be most complete not immediately after memorization, but after a day, two or even three days. During this time, the learned material is not only not forgotten, but, on the contrary, is fixed in memory. This is observed mainly when memorizing extensive material. A practical conclusion follows from this: one should not think that the best answer in the exam is what is learned immediately before the exam, for example, on the same morning.

More favorable conditions for reproduction are created when the learned material “rests” for some time. It is necessary to take into account the fact that the subsequent activity, which is very similar to the previous one, can sometimes “erase” the results of the previous memorization. This sometimes happens if you study literature after history.

Forgetting can be the result of various disordersmemory:

1) senile, when an elderly person remembers early childhood, but does not remember all the upcoming events,

2) with concussion, the same phenomena are often observed as in old age,

3) split personality - after sleep, a person imagines himself to be different, forgets everything about himself.

It is often difficult for a person to remember something on purpose. To facilitate memorization, people have come up with different ways, they are called memorization techniques or mnemonics. Let's take a look at some of them.

1. Rhyme reception. Any person remembers poetry better than prose. Therefore, it will be difficult to forget the rules of behavior on the escalator in the subway, if you present them in the form of a playful quatrain:

Canes, umbrellas and suitcases You do not put on the steps, Do not lean on the railing, Stand on the right, go on the left.

Or, for example, in Russian there are eleven exception verbs that are not easy to remember. What if they rhyme?

See, hear and offend, Drive, endure and hate,

And twirl, watch, hold,

And depend and breathe

Look, -it, -at, -yat write.

Or, in order not to confuse the bisector and median in geometry:

A bisector is a rat that runs around the corners and divides the corner in half.

The median is such a monkey that jumps to the side and divides it equally.

Or, to memorize all the colors of the rainbow, memorize the jolly sentence: "How once Jacques the bell-ringer broke a lantern with his head." Here, every word and color starts with one letter - red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, violet.

2. A number of mnemonic techniques are used when remembering dates of birth famous people or significant events. For example, I.S. Turgenev was born in 1818 (18-18), A.S. Pushkin was born one year before the 19th century (1799), M.Yu. Lermontov was born in 1814 and died in 1841 (14-41).

3. To remember what is the organ of daytime vision and what is night vision - rods or cones, you can remember the following: at night it is easier to walk with a stick, and in the laboratory they work with cones during the day.

The qualities of memory

What is good and bad memory?

Memory begins with memorization the information that our senses receive from the outside world. All images, words, impressions in general must be retained, remain in our memory. In psychology, this process is called - preservation. When needed, we reproducible previously seen, heard, experienced. It is by reproduction that the quality of the entire memory apparatus is judged.

A good memory is the ability to remember quickly and a lot, to reproduce accurately and on time.

However, one cannot attribute all the successes and failures of a person, his victories and losses, discoveries and mistakes to memory alone. No wonder the French thinker F. La Rochefoucauld wittily remarked: "Everyone complains about their memory, but no one complains about their mind."

So, the qualities of memory:

1) memorization speed. However, it acquires value only in combination with other qualities;

2) preservation strength;

3) memory accuracy - absence of distortions, essential omissions;

4) memory readiness- the ability to quickly extract from the memory reserves what is needed at the moment.

Not all people quickly memorize material, remember for a long time and accurately reproduce or recall exactly at the very moment when it is needed. Yes, and this manifests itself differently in relation to different material, depending on the interests of a person, his profession, personality traits. Someone remembers faces well, but badly remembers mathematical material, others have a good musical memory, but bad for literary texts, etc. In schoolchildren and students, poor memorization of material often depends not on poor memory, but on poor attention, on lack of interest in this subject, etc.

Performance

One of the main manifestations of memory is reproduction of images. Images of objects and phenomena that we do not perceive at the moment are called representations. Representations arise as a result of the revival of previously formed temporary connections; they can be called up by the mechanism of associations, with the help of a word, a description.

Representations are different from concepts. The concept has a more generalized and abstract character, while the representation has a visual character. Representation is an image of an object, a concept is a thought about an object. Thinking about something and imagining something are not the same thing. For example, a thousand-square - there is a concept, but it is impossible to imagine. The source of representations are sensations and perceptions - visual, auditory, olfactory, tactile, kinesthetic.

Representations are characterized by clarity, i.e. direct similarity with the corresponding objects and phenomena (we internally or mentally “see”, “hear”, “smell”, “feel” touches, etc.).

Weight I see Pavlovsk hilly. Round meadow, inanimate water, The most languid and the most shady, After all, it will never be forgotten.

A. Akhmatova

But representations are usually much poorer than perceptions. Representations never convey with the same brightness all the features and signs of objects, only individual features are clearly reproduced.

Representations are very unstable and changeable. The exception is people who have highly developed ideas related to their profession, for example, musicians - auditory, artists - visual, tasters - olfactory, etc.

Representations are the result of processing and generalization of past perceptions. Without perceptions, representations could not have been formed: the blind born have no ideas about colors and colors, the deaf from birth have no sound representations.

It is more accurate to call a representation a representation of memory, since it is connected with the work of figurative memory. The difference between representations and perceptions is that representations give a more generalized reflection of objects. In representations separate perceptions are generalized, constant signs of things and phenomena are emphasized and accidental signs that were previously available in separate perceptions are omitted. For example, we see a tree - an image of perception, we represent a tree - the image is dimmer, more indefinite and inaccurate.

Representation is a generalized reflection of the surrounding world. We say "river" and imagine it: two banks, flowing water. We have seen many different rivers, the presentation reflects visual signs characteristic of objects and phenomena. We can perceive only a specific river - the Volga, the Moskva River, the Kama, the Yenisei, the Oka, etc., the image of perception is accurate.

To imagine means to mentally see or mentally hear something, and not just to know. Representation is a higher stage of cognition than perception, they are a stage of transition from sensation to thought, it is a visual and at the same time a generalized image that reflects the characteristic features of an object.

We can imagine the whistle of a steamboat, the taste of lemon, the smell of gasoline, perfume, flowers, touching something, or a toothache. Of course, anyone who has never had a toothache cannot imagine this. Usually, when we say something, we ask: “Can you imagine?!”

Speech plays an important role in the formation of general ideas, naming a number of objects in one word.

Representations are formed in the process of human activity, therefore, depending on the profession, one type of representations mainly develops. But the division of representations by type is very conditional.

The grounds for distinguishing different types of memory are: the nature of mental activity, the degree of awareness of the information (images) being remembered, the nature of the connection with the goals of the activity, the duration of the preservation of images, and the goals of the study.

By the nature of mental activity(depending on the type of analyzers included in the memory processes, sensory systems and subcortical formations of the brain) memory is divided into: figurative, motor, emotional and verbal-logical.

figurative memory- this is a memory for images formed using the processes of perception through various sensory systems and reproduced in the form of representations. In this regard, figurative memory distinguishes:

• visual (image of the face loved one, a tree in the courtyard of a home, the cover of a textbook on the subject being studied);
• auditory (the sound of your favorite song, the voice of the mother, the noise of the turbines of a jet aircraft or the surf);
• taste (taste of your favorite drink, lemon acid, bitterness of black pepper, sweetness of oriental fruits);
• olfactory (the smell of meadow herbs, favorite perfumes, smoke from a fire);
• tactile (the soft back of a kitten, the mother's affectionate hands, the pain of an accidentally cut finger, the warmth of a room heating battery).

Available statistics show the relative capabilities of these types of memory in educational process. So, when listening to a lecture once (i.e., using only auditory memory), the next day a student can reproduce only 10% of its content. With independent visual study of the lecture (only visual memory is used), this figure rises to 30%. The story and visualization bring this figure to 50%. Practical working out of lecture material using all the types of memory listed above provides 90% of success.

Motor(motor) memory manifests itself in the ability to memorize, save and reproduce various motor operations (swimming, cycling, playing volleyball). This type of memory forms the basis of labor skills and any expedient motor acts.

emotional memory is a memory of feelings (memory of fear or shame for one's previous act). Emotional memory is one of the most reliable, durable "repositories" of information. “Well, you are vindictive!” - we say to a person who for a long time cannot forget the offense inflicted on him and is not able to forgive the offender.

This type of memory recalls previously experienced feelings or is said to reproduce secondary feelings. At the same time, secondary feelings may not only not correspond to their originals (originally experienced feelings) in strength and semantic content, but also change their sign to the opposite. For example, what we previously feared may now become desirable. So, the newly appointed chief, according to rumors, was known (and at first he was perceived as such) as a more demanding person than the previous one, which caused natural anxiety among the workers. Subsequently, it turned out that this was not so: the exactingness of the boss ensured professional growth employees and increase their salaries.

Lack of emotional memory leads to "emotional dullness": a person becomes unattractive, uninteresting, robotic creature for others. The ability to rejoice and suffer is a necessary condition mental health person.

Verbal-logical, or semantic, memory is the memory of thoughts and words. Actually, there are no thoughts without words, which is emphasized by the very name of this type of memory. According to the degree of participation of thinking in verbal-logical memory, sometimes mechanical and logical are conventionally distinguished. They say about mechanical memory when the memorization and preservation of information is carried out mainly due to its repeated repetition without a deep understanding of the content. Incidentally, with age mechanical memory tends to get worse. An example is the "forced" memorization of words that are not related in meaning.

Logical memory is based on the use of semantic links between memorized objects, objects or phenomena. It is constantly used, for example, by teachers: when presenting new lecture material, they periodically remind students of previously introduced concepts related to this topic.

By degree of awareness memorized information distinguish between implicit and explicit memory.

implicit memory is a memory for material that a person is not aware of. The process of memorization is implicit, covert, independent of consciousness, inaccessible to direct observation. The manifestation of such a memory requires a "start", which may be the need to solve some task that is important for the moment. However, he does not realize the knowledge that he possesses. In the process of socialization, for example, a person perceives the norms and values ​​of his society without realizing the basic theoretical principles that guide his behavior. It happens as if by itself.

Explicit memory based on the conscious use of previously acquired knowledge. To solve a problem, they are extracted from consciousness on the basis of recall, recognition, etc.

By the nature of the connection with the goals of the activity Distinguish between voluntary and involuntary memory. involuntary memory- a trace of an image in the mind, arising without a purpose specifically set for this. Information is stored as if automatically, without volitional effort. In childhood, this type of memory is developed, and weakens with age. An example of involuntary memory is the imprinting of a picture of a long line at the ticket office of a concert hall.

Arbitrary memory- intentional (volitional) memorization of an image, associated with some purpose and carried out with the help of special techniques. For example, remembering by an operative law enforcement officer external signs in the guise of a criminal in order to identify him and arrest him at a meeting. It should be noted that Comparative characteristics Arbitrary and involuntary memory in terms of the strength of storing information does not give absolute advantages to any of them.

By duration of saving images Distinguish instant (sensory), short-term, operational and long-term memory.

Instant (touch) memory is a memory that retains information perceived by the senses without processing it. It is almost impossible to manage this memory. Varieties of this memory:

• iconic (after-figurative memory, the images of which are stored for a short period of time after a brief presentation of the object; if you close your eyes, then open them for a moment and close them again, then the image of what you see, stored for a time of 0.1-0.2 s, will constitute the content of this type memory);
• echoic (after-image memory, the images of which are stored for 2-3 seconds after a brief auditory stimulus).

Short-term (working) memory is a memory for images after a single, short-term perception and with immediate (in the first seconds after perception) reproduction. This type of memory responds to the number of perceived symbols (signs), their physical nature, but not to their information content. There is a magical formula for human short-term memory: "seven plus or minus two." This means that with a single presentation of numbers (letters, words, symbols, etc.), 5-9 objects of this type remain in short-term memory. Retention of information in short-term memory is on average 20-30 s.

Operational memory, "related" to short-term memory, allows you to save a trace of the image only to perform current actions (operations). For example, sequential removal of information symbols of a message from the display screen and retention in memory until the end of the entire message.

long-term memory is a memory for images, "calculated" for the long-term preservation of their traces in the mind and subsequent repeated use in future life. It forms the basis of sound knowledge. The extraction of information from long-term memory is carried out in two ways: either at will, or with extraneous stimulation of certain parts of the cerebral cortex (for example, during hypnosis, irritation of certain parts of the cerebral cortex with a weak electric shock). Most important information stored in a person's long-term memory for life.

It should be noted that in relation to long-term memory, short-term memory is a kind of "checkpoint" through which perceived images penetrate into long-term memory, subject to repeated reception. Without repetition, images are lost. Sometimes the concept of "intermediate memory" is introduced, attributing to it the function of primary "sorting" of input information: the most interesting part of the information is delayed in this memory for several minutes. If during this time it is not in demand, then its complete loss is possible.

Depending on the objectives of the study introduce the concepts of genetic (biological), episodic, reconstructive, reproductive, associative, autobiographical memory.

genetic(biological) memory is due to the mechanism of heredity. This is the "memory of the ages", the memory of the biological events of a huge evolutionary period of man as a species. It preserves the tendency of a person to certain types of behavior and patterns of action in specific situations. Through this memory, elementary innate reflexes, instincts and even elements of the physical appearance of a person are transmitted.

episodic memory refers to the storage of individual fragments of information with a fixation of the situation in which it was perceived (time, place, method). For example, a person in search of a gift for a friend has outlined a clear route bypassing outlets, fixing suitable items by location, floor, store departments and the faces of sellers working there.

reproductive memory consists in re-reproducing by recalling the original previously stored object. For example, an artist from memory draws a picture (based on recall) of a taiga landscape that he contemplated while on a creative business trip. It is known that Aivazovsky created all his paintings from memory.

Reconstructive memory consists not so much in the reproduction of an object as in the procedure for restoring the disturbed sequence of stimuli in its original form. For example, a process engineer from memory restores a lost process flow diagram for manufacturing a complex part.

Associative memory relies on any established functional links (associations) between stored objects. A man, passing by a candy store, remembered that at home he was instructed to buy a cake for dinner.

Autobiographical memory is a memory for the events of one's own life (in principle, it can be attributed to a variety of episodic memory).

All types of memory related to different classification bases are closely interconnected. Indeed, for example, the quality of work of short-term memory determines the level of functioning of long-term memory. At the same time, objects perceived simultaneously through several channels are better remembered by a person.

Memory is one of the most important processes of the psyche. Any form of mental activity relies on memory.

Memory is a mental process that includes processes: memorization, preservation, subsequent reproduction by a person of his experience, as well as forgetting.

A person is able to keep in memory not only what he felt and perceived, but also what he thought, experienced and did. Human memory is closely connected with sensations and perception, with attention, thinking, emotions and feelings.

Memory is selective. It retains not everything that has passed through a person's consciousness or affected the brain, but what is connected with his needs, interests, and activities. Memory - like other mental. processes are a subjective reflection of the objective world. This means that the features and attitudes of a person's personality and his activities affect the content, completeness and strength of his memory.

The physiological basis of memory is the formation, preservation and renewal of neural connections in the cortex hemispheres. The connections that arise in the brain reflect the objective connections that exist between objects and phenomena of reality. They can be spatial, temporal, structural, causal. To remember means to associate something with something, for example, the name of a person - with his appearance, the date of a historical event - with the content of the event. These connections are called associations.

memorization –the process of memory, as a result of which the new is consolidated by linking it with the previously acquired. Memorization is selective: not everything that affects the senses is stored in the memory. It is proved that any memorization is a natural product of the action of the subject with the object.

The memory process takes place in three forms:

Imprinting, - involuntary memorization, - arbitrary memorization.

imprinting- durable and accurate preservation of the memory of events in the CP and DP as a result of a single presentation of the material for several seconds. By imprinting, eidetic images arise. The phenomenon of eidetism is as follows: after looking at the picture, the subject can give an answer about its details, this is possible when the image of what he saw is stored in his mind in its entirety. This is common in children.

Involuntary memorization- storing events in the memory as a result of their repeated repetition. So, from a year the child memorizes the words of the language, being in a certain language environment. Involuntary memorization is facilitated by a strong feeling (joy, fear, disgust ...). This method of memorization has a certain, positive value; memory is built on it in the initial period of learning. Involuntary memorization is a product and condition for the implementation of cognitive and practical actions.

Arbitrary memorization- a product of special mnemonic actions, i.e. actions aimed at memorization itself. It arose in labor activity, in communication between people and is associated with the need to preserve the knowledge and skills necessary for labor activity. A characteristic feature of arbitrary memorization is a volitional act and the obligatory presence of a motive that solves a problem.

Preservation –more or less prolonged retention in memory of information obtained in the experiment. Saving has two forms:

Actually preservation and - forgetting.

There are two types of storage of material in memory:

1) short-term and 2) long-term.

short term memory - direct imprinting of a set of objects with a single perception of the situation, fixation of objects that have fallen into the field of perception. In short-term memory, information is stored from a few seconds to several hours (1-2 days). Volume - 5-6 items. Under the conditions of the CP, tasks are productive, for the solution of which automated methods of action can be used.

long term memory - memorization and preservation of information of greater importance for a long period of maintenance. The volume of DP depends on the importance of information for a person. DP is stored for many months and years. KP - has tactical significance, and DP - strategic.

The information used in the activity either disappears from memory or passes from the CP to the DP.

As an intermediate link between the KP and the DP, there is operative memory - serving the current actions of a person. The information necessary for servicing the corresponding activity is extracted from the DP.

Forgetting is a memory process associated with erasing from memory events that are not important for a person, are not repeated, are not reproduced by a person in his activity. What is not included in the activity is not repeated - it is forgotten. Forgetting is useful and is associated with the formation of an individual's experience.

Inclusion in activity is a means of connecting the material with human needs, therefore, the fight against forgetting. It is necessary to systematically repeat what has been stored in memory. It is necessary to repeat the material after a short time after its perception, for example, in the evening to read a lecture recorded in the morning. Forgetting is also selective. Significant activity-related material is forgotten slowly. And what had vitality, is not completely forgotten. The preservation of the material is determined by the degree of its participation in the activities of the individual.

What is stored in the DP is not erased, but becomes unconscious. Preservation is not a passive process, but a dynamic one. Previously memorized knowledge interacts with newly acquired knowledge: they are associated, refined and differentiated. The experience stored in the mind is constantly changing and enriching. Only that which is memorized as an independent integral statement is preserved and reproduced in an unchanged form.

Playback - the process of memory, the reconstruction in activity and communication of the material stored in the DP and its transfer to the operational one.

There are 3 playback levels:

Recognition, - actually reproduction, - recollection.

Recognition- this is the reproduction of some object in conditions of repeated perception. It is of great importance in life. Without it, we would perceive things as new each time, and not as already familiar. Without recognition, meaningful perception is impossible: To learn means to include what is perceived in the system of our knowledge, our experience. Recognition is accompanied by a special emotional experience - a feeling of familiarity: "already heard, seen, tried." It is easier to learn than to reproduce in the absence of the original. Everyone had to experience a strange experience: you arrive in a city that is obviously new to you or find yourself in a new situation, but it seems that all this has already happened. Imaginary recognition is called "deja vu"(translated from French. “Already seen”). Here we are let down by associations - it looks like only something, but it seems that everything happened again.

If the recognition is complete, definite, it is carried out involuntarily(without effort) - imperceptibly for ourselves, we recognize in the process of perception things, objects that we previously perceived. But if recognition is incomplete and therefore indefinite, when, for example, after seeing a person, we experience a “feeling of the familiar”, but we cannot identify it with the one we knew before, or we recognize a person, but cannot remember the conditions in which we perceived the person, then in these cases recognition is arbitrary. Based on the perception of the object, we deliberately try to recall various circumstances in order to clarify its recognition. In this case, recognition passes into reproduction.

The actual playback carried out without re-perception of the object that is reproduced. It is caused by the content of the activity that a person is performing at the moment, although this activity is not specifically aimed at reproduction. it reproduction involuntary. But it does not happen by itself, without a push. The impetus for it is the perception of objects, ideas, thoughts that are caused by external influences.

Random Play caused by reproductive tasks that a person sets for himself. When the material is fixed firmly, playback is easy. But sometimes it is not possible to remember what is needed, then you have to do an active search, overcoming difficulties. This reproduction is called recall.

Remembrance - reproduction, in which at the moment there is no way to remember the right thing, but there is confidence that it is remembered. Recall is characterized by active searches in the labyrinths of memory for the necessary information, this is a certain mental work, work. Willpower required. Recall, like memorization, is selective. A well-conscious and precisely formulated task directs the further course of recall, helps to select the necessary material in our memory and inhibits side associations. Two steps are recommended:

association and recognition. Reliance on recognition - the name of possible variants of numbers, words, facts that can be recognized and remembered.

All three levels of reproduction are woven into each other and interact in mnemonic activity.

Association- the connections between the individual links of what is perceived in life play an important role in memorization and recall.

What is learned is constantly interacting with what has been learned before..

Types of memory:

according to the nature of the mental activity that prevails in the activity, they distinguish motor, emotional, figurative and verbal-logical memory;

by the nature of the goals of the activity: arbitrary and involuntary;

according to the duration of consolidation and preservation of the material: KP, DP and operational.

Motor (motor)- memorization, preservation and reproduction of various movements and their systems. It serves as the basis for the formation of writing, walking, dancing, and labor skills.

emotional memory- on feelings, consists in remembering, reproducing and recognizing emotions and feelings. Underlies the formation of habits. Feelings experienced and stored in memory can prompt or inhibit action. The ability to empathize with another person is based on emotional memory.

figurative memory- visual, auditory, tactile, olfactory, gustatory.

Verbal-logical (semantic)- consists in memorizing and reproducing thoughts. Because Thoughts do not exist without language, then the memory for them is semantic.

Memory- processes of organizing and preserving past experience, making it possible to reuse it in activities or return to the sphere of consciousness. P. connects the past of the subject with his present and future and is the most important cognitive function that underlies development and learning. P.'s research is interdisciplinary in nature, since in various forms it occurs at all levels of life and includes not only the processes of preserving individual experience, but also the mechanisms of transmission of hereditary information. The role of the organization of material in memorization was emphasized by Gestalt psychology. In psychoanalysis, an attempt was made to explain the phenomena of forgetting by the "repression" of unpleasant, traumatic impressions from the sphere of consciousness. The English psychologist F. Bartlett showed the complex reconstructive nature of the process of recalling stories and its dependence on the cultural norms existing in a given environment. The role of sociocultural factors in the formation higher forms Human P. was identified by the French psychologist P. Janet and the French sociologist M. Halbvaks. Along with voluntary memorization, the processes of involuntary memorization were also studied. So, P.I. Zinchenko and A.A. Smirnov studied the dependence of the success of memorization processes on their place in the structure of activity. During ontogenetic development there is a change in the methods of memorization, the role of the processes of highlighting meaningful, semantic connections in the material increases. Different kinds P. - motor, emotional, figurative, verbal-logical - are sometimes described as stages of such development. The well-known analogy between the stages of information processing by a person and the structural blocks of computing devices had a noticeable influence on the formulation of the problem of P.. In the psychological analysis of P., it is important to consider that it is part of an integral structure human personality. As the motivational-required sphere of a person develops, his attitude to his past may change, as a result of which the same knowledge can be stored in a person's P. in different ways.

Memory- a cognitive process consisting in remembering, preserving, restoring and forgetting the acquired experience. In the simplest form, memory is realized as the recognition of previously perceived objects; in a more complex form, it appears as a reproduction in the representation of objects that are not currently given in actual perception. Recognition and reproduction can also be voluntary and involuntary. Currently, memory is considered in the context of other cognitive processes (R. Atkinson, A. Baddeley, P. Lindsay, D. Norman, D. Rumelhart).

The study of memory began many centuries ago, when a person began, albeit vaguely, to guess that he was able to remember and store information. At the same time, memory has always been associated with the learning process (i.e., the accumulation of information), and attempts to explain memory have always coincided with the methods of information storage known in a given historical period.

So, the ancient Greeks, in accordance with the method of recording accepted at that time, believed that information in the form of some material particles enters the head and leaves imprints on the soft substance of the brain, like on clay or wax.

Two thousand years later, the French philosopher and naturalist R. Descartes, the creator of the "hydraulic" model of the nervous system, suggested that the frequent use of the same hollow tubes (as Descartes imagined the structure of nerve fibers) leads to their stretching and a decrease in resistance to the movement of "vital spirits", which is accompanied by the formation of skills - i.e. memorization. Later - already in the 19th and early 20th centuries - in connection with the creation of such systems as the telephone network, electronic computers, tape recorders and other devices, memory mechanisms were interpreted in accordance with the principles on which the mechanisms of action of the above devices are based.

Finally, in connection with the development of research in the field of genetics and molecular biology, the discovery of the mechanisms of storage of genetic information, biological analogies have already been attracted to explain the mechanisms of memory. In particular, it was assumed that the mechanisms of at least one of the types of memory have a molecular basis (the imprinting of information is accompanied by changes in the system of enzymes localized in nerve cells, an increase in the content of nucleic acids in them, etc.).

Types of memory

Traditionally, psychologists, who traditionally were the first to study memory experimentally, distinguish six types of memory:

• motor, associated with the memorization and reproduction of movements;
• figurative, the sphere of which is the memorization of sensory images of objects, phenomena and their properties (depending on the type of analyzer that perceives information, figurative memory is divided into visual, auditory, tactile, etc.);
• verbal-logical (a form of memory characteristic of a person) associated with memorization, recognition and reproduction of thoughts, concepts, conclusions, etc., this type of memory is directly related to learning;
• emotional memory responsible for remembering and reproducing sensory perceptions together with the objects that cause them.
• Not arbitrary, characterized by the fact that a person remembers and reproduces images without setting any goal to remember it and reproduce it.
• Arbitrary (deliberate), meaningful, thought out with a specific goal and task to learn and reproduce the material using certain techniques.

There are other classifications of types of memory:

• Immediate. It is kept for 0.25 sec. Allows for interconnection between successive time intervals.
• Operational. This is the section of memory that is currently working. It is characterized by the fact that the processing time of information can reach up to 20 seconds. The amount of this memory is much less than the immediate one.
• Long-term. It stores images of phenomena and objects of the outside world that a person needs for a long time, which he uses periodically.
• Long-term memory is divided into:
  a) genetic memory - this is everything that our predecessors accumulated.
  b) hereditary memory - the memory of the closest relatives.