Memory Enhancements

• Persistence—this is when you cannot forget painful or bad memories. This is an intrusion error.

Interference can happen when something is in your memory but you cannot access it. There are two kinds of interference. The first is proactive interference, when old memories block the recall of new memories. The second is retroactive interference, when newly learned information blocks the recall of previously remembered information. When you get a new locker combination, you may be hindered by the memory of your old locker combination in the case of proactive interference. If you memorize someone s new phone number, it may block access to your old phone number. This is retroactive interference.

MEMORY ENHANCEMENTS

There are things you can do to enhance your memory of many things in your life. These are called memory-enhancing strategies. You can rehearse new memories in order to remember them better and put them in long-term memory. Repetition does help in building memory. Chunking is another memory enhancement. This is how phone numbers are memorized. They are divided into area code, three numbers, and then four numbers, which is easier to remember than a string of numbers.

Elaborative rehearsal involves thinking about the meaning of something. Area codes represent meaning because they are the same for large sums of people. Mnemonic devices are often used in education to remember things in a certain order, such as the order of the planets. Saying words aloud will enhance memory as will expressive writing about a topic you want to remember. Self-referencing involves applying the information to yourself by writing things in your own words.