psychology of forgetting

1. FORGETTING

2. Forgetting Is the opposite of remembering. When information or data are not retained in the memory, they are forgetting. It is normal to an individual. It is depending on your age and other reasons or causes, we tend to forget because of some factors .

3. Psychologist Hermann Ebbinghaus was one of the first to scientifically study forgetting. In experiments where is used himself as the subject, Ebbinghaus tested his memory using three-letter nonsense syllables. He relied on such nonsense words because relying on previously known words would have made use of his existing knowledge and associations in his memory.

4. In order to test for new information, Ebbinghaus tested his memory for periods of time ranging from 20 minutes to 31 days. He then published his findings in 1885 in Memory: A Contribution to Experimental Psychology . His results, plotted in what is known as the Ebbinghaus forgetting curve, revealed a relationship between forgetting and time. Initially, information is often lost very quickly after it is learned. Factors such as how the information was learned and how frequently it was rehearsed play a role in how quickly these memories are lost.

5. The Ebbinghaus Forgetting Curve

6. FACTORS OF FORGETTING Encoding Failure - it is the failure of inputting the details of the data or information due to poor attention, lack of concentration and ambiguous or different motives. If information are vague, they are easily forgotten. Decay of Fading of Memory Traces - memory trace are changes in the nerve cells of the brain. Learned stimuli gradually decay or fade with passage of time.

7. Disuse of The Learned Material – when the learned is no longer rehearsed or repeated, they tend to be forgotten due to lack of adequate stimulation of these materials. Repression of Emotionally Threatening Information (motivated forgetting) – is a mental process of refusing to think something because we find the thoughts unpleasant and distasteful. Information which are disappointing, shameful or painful from the unconscious state of mind are pushed down into the subconscious state of mind.

8. Interference of Other Materials – the ability to recall the learned material is blocked or prevented by other related materials. Old and new learning materials compete with each other such that the ability to retain and remember them are limited. 2 kinds of Interference : Proactive – is the process in which old learned material interferes with the capacity to retrieve more recent learned materials .

9. Retroactive - recently learned information makes it difficult to recall old information. Amnesia - it is a temporary loss of memory due to the damage of the brain resulting from drug use, emotional shock, or severe stress.

10. Emotional factors affecting forgetting Emotionally charges situations, whether positive or negative, may decrease forgetting. Negative emotions may increase the tendency to forget than positive or pleasant emotions. Study and memorize when your emotion is at its best. Do not study when you are in a good mood or when you are under stress. You may not be able to encode and store the information you are attempting to collect. Traumatic experience stored in the unconscious state of mind may either into your conscious state of mind affecting memory.

11. Improving memory Feedback - knowledge of the result of an activity performed will give you the opportunity to check if you are learning or if there is a need to further improve your work. Recitation – recite what you have learned to yourself. Silent recitation will make you remember past lessons. Overlearning - it does not mean going beyond what has already been learned; because what has already been learned is already “learned”. It simply means that if you wish not to forget what you have already learned, continue to reviewing it now and then.

12. Selection - it is difficult to remember all the notes written in your notebook or the information printed in your textbook. Hence, you have to place selection markings in your notebooks or textbooks which you can use to summarize your idea. Spaced practice – this is a strategy of studying in which a relaxation or rest period (15-30 mins.) is alloted in between a schedule of studying. Organization – this strategy can be done by organizing your notes or making an outline so that when your ideas are already organized, learning become easier, clearer, and faster.

13. Learning by Whole Learning by Parts – for simple and short learning material, it is better to learn it first as a whole before proceeding to learn the parts. Serial position – in a long list of items or series of statement, we often remember only the first and the last items. We tend to forget those in the middle. Sleep – a good sleep can improve memory. It is a way of relaxing the muscle and the brain. Review – is a way of using the L aw of Exercise or the Law of Use. Is a form of practice and overlearning .

14. Cues – create a mental picture of what you are studying or memorizing for easy retrieval. PQRST Method – this means Preview, Question, Read, Self-recitation and Test. It is a way of understanding and remembering your lessons in every chapter of the book. Use of Foods, Medicine and Vitamins – they do not exactly improve memory but they can induce or stimulate the process of learning the material to a certain extent, if properly controlled.

15. Mnemonic (pronounce as ni-monic ) – is any kind of remembering system or memory aid to improve encoding and retrieval of cues to enhance recall and decrease forgetting. Mnemonic techniques: I n rhymes - example , we use the spelling rule “ i before e, except c” like in bel ie ve, bel ie f, rec ei ve and rec ei pt. In acronyms – we, write the first letter of a long list of items to be enumerate, such as, Government Service and Insurance System (GSIS) .

16. Acrostic mnemonic - is the use of sentence such that a word begins with the item to be learned. To remember the EGBDF of the G-clef staff, state in the sentence as “Every Good Boy Does Fine”. Loci method (pronounce as Low-sigh ) – places are used as memory pegs in memorizing a long list of items. Peg method – a device for memorizing long tests especially in the exact order. It is a way of creating association between a number-word rhyme and items to be memorized.