Class 11 Psychology Chapter 7 Human Memory

Human memory is one of the most intriguing and interesting aspects of the human mind for psychologists, and they have always attempted to bring out new ways and techniques through which our memory can be enhanced. Human memory plays a central role in problem-solving, attention, decision-making, perception, etc.

Having a sharp memory has perks of its own, as it always helps students ace their exams, employees adhere to their deadlines, etc. Let’s explore what constitutes human memory and how people sharpen their memory to such an extent that they are able to establish world records in CBSE Class 11 Psychology Chapter 7 Human Memory.

What is Memory 

Memory is the process by which we encode, store, and retrieve information. It enables us to form experiences, use knowledge in daily life, and build continuity in our personal identity. Without memory, learning would be impossible, and every moment would feel new and disconnected from the past.

Psychologists view memory not as a passive storehouse but as an active process of reconstruction, where information is constantly organised and reshaped.

The Concept of Human Memory

The first topic of CBSE Class 11 Psychology chapter 7, human memory, is learning about the basic concept. Human memory can be clearly defined as a process comprising three independent yet interrelated stages, which are explained as follows:

1. Encoding – It is the first stage of human memory in which information is recorded and registered for the first time so that it becomes usable by our memory system, and substantial meaning is derived from the incoming information
2. Storage -It is the second stage of human memory in which the encoded information is retained and held over a period of time so that it can be utilised later
3. Retrieval – It is the third stage of memory in which the stored information can be recovered from our memory as and when the situation demands

Types of Human Memory

This section discusses the different types of long-term memory, including episodic, semantic, and procedural memory, highlighting how each stores and retrieves specific kinds of information. Psychologists have identified several types of memory based on the nature of information stored and recalled: 

• Episodic Memory: Stores personal experience and events, i.e. to specific times and places. For example, remembering your first day at school.
• Semantic Memory: Deals with general knowledge, concepts, and facts that are not linked to a particular event. For instance, knowing that the Earth revolves around the Sun.
• Procedural Memory: Refers to memory of skills, habits, and actions. It allows us to perform activities like cycling, typing, or swimming without consciously thinking about them.
• Autobiographical Memory: A combination of episodic and semantic memory that forms a record of our life story, shaping our sense of identity.
• Flashbulb Memory: Highly vivid and detailed memory of emotionally significant or shocking events, such as remembering where you were when you heard important news.

Information Processing Approach (Stage Model)

Atkinson and Shiffrin’s model of memory is also known as the stage model of memory. This proposes the existence of three separate but sequentially linked memory systems:

1. Sensory memory- It contains a fleeting impression of a sensory stimulus(sight, sound). It has a large capacity. It is of a very short duration, less than a second
2. Short-term memory – A limited recollection of recently perceived stimuli (telephone number, order of food). It holds a small amount of information for a brief period of time, which is less than 30 seconds
3. Long-term memory- It is defined as a permanent store of memories for later retrieval. Here, information is encoded semantically, and the storage capacity is unlimited.

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Maintenance Rehearsal vs Elaborative Rehearsal 

This section explains the difference between maintenance rehearsal, which relies on simple repetition to retain information, and elaborative rehearsal, which focuses on meaningful learning by linking new knowledge with existing ideas. Here is maintenance rehearsal vs. elaborate rehearsal:

Knowledge Representation and Organisation in Memory

This section explains how information is represented and organised in memory through concepts, categories, schemas, and networks, making recall easier and more efficient. Here you can know how knowledge representation and organisation in memory:

• The most important unit of representation of knowledge in long-term memory is a concept. Concepts are mental categories for objects and events, which are similar to each other in one or more ways
• We actively organise concepts in schemas, which are mental frameworks that represent our knowledge and assumptions about the world.
• For example, think of a schema of the kitchen. It will have different things like crockery, a gas stove, etc
• In 1969, Allan Collins and Ross Quillian suggested that knowledge in long-term memory is organised in terms of concepts, categories, and images, and they are organised hierarchically
• As per this view, we can store all knowledge at a certain level that applies to all the members of a category without having to repeat that information at the lower levels in the hierarchy. This, as a result, ensures a high degree of cognitive economy, which means maximum and efficient use of the capacity of long-term memory with minimum effort
• Images- it is a concrete form of representation that directly conveys the perceptual attributes of an object
• Almost all concrete objects generate images, and knowledge related to them is encoded both verbally and visually, which is termed the Dual Coding Hypothesis, originally proposed by Paivio

Also Read: 17+ Interesting Facts About Brain in Science

Nature and Causes of Forgetting

Moving on to the next topic in CBSE Class 11 Psychology chapter 7, human memory is nature and causes of forgetting. Forgetting occurs when information is not retrieved from our long-term memory, and the reasons behind forgetting are as follows:

1. The information we commit to our long-term memory is somehow lost
2. The information to be learned was not memorised well enough
3. Improper encoding of the information
4. The information to be learned is not stored properly.

• Hermann Ebbinghaus came up with his theory of forgetting, according to which the rate of forgetting is maximum in the first 9 hours, particularly during the first hour. After that, the forgetting rate slows down, and not much is forgotten even after many days
• Trace theory of forgetting is also termed as the disuse theory, which states that memory leads to modification in the central nervous system, which is akin to physical changes in the brain called memory traces. If the memory traces are not used for a long time, they simply fade away and become unavailable. The trace theory has been called baseless and inadequate by many psychologists, as it is impractical

Interference

Forgetting also happens because of the interference between various pieces of information that the memory stores. Interferences come about at a time of retrieval when these sets of associations compete with each other for retrieval. Two types of interference are explained below:

Proactive Interference

It means what one has learned earlier interferes with the recall of subsequent learning. Past learning interferes with the recall of later learning. For example, a person well-versed in English may find difficulty in learning French.

Retroactive Interference

It refers to difficulty in recalling what one has learned earlier because of learning new material. Later learning interferes with the recall of past learning. For example, if one cannot recall English equivalents of French words that one is currently memorising then it might be because of retroactive interference. Forgetting can also occur because, at the time of recall, either the retrieval cues are absent or they are not appropriate to the need. Retrieval Cues are aids that help us in recovering information stored in memory.

Enhancing Memory 

There are various techniques to enhance your memory. Here are some of the ways to improve your memory:

• Mnemonics Using Images: It requires us to create vivid and interactive images of the material that we wish to remember. Under this type, there are two techniques, which are explained as follows:
• Keyword Method: In this method, an English word that sounds similar word that sounds similar to a word of a foreign language is identified. This English word will function as a keyword. It is considered a simple method compared to rote learning
• Method of Loci: It helps in learning in a serial order. It first requires an individual to visualise places/objects that they know well in a specific order. Imagine the objects to be memorised, and then associate them one by one with the physical locations

Also Read: Essay on Memorable Day of My Life: 150, 200, and 500

Mnemonics Using Organisation

Organisation refers to imposing certain orders on the material to be remembered. Techniques under this category are explained as follows-

• Chunking- It helps in increasing short-term memory. To form larger chunks, we combine several smaller units, and it is important to discover organisational principles that can link these smaller units together in order to create chunks
• First Letter Technique- In this method, we need to actively pick up the first letter of each word to be remembered and then arrange them logically to form another word or sentence. For example, we learn colors of the rainbow as VIBGYOR(Violet, Indigo, Green, Yellow, Orange, Red)
• Deep Level Processing- As per Craik and Lockhart, processing information in terms of the meaning that they convey leads to better memory as compared to attending to their surface features. It involves asking as many questions as possible related to the information that is to be learned
• Give Oneself Retrieval Cues- Giving oneself sufficient retrieval cues will make it easier to remember the information, as it will help in linking it to the retrieval cues

Class 11 Psychology Chapter 7—Human Memory explains how the human brain encodes, stores, and retrieves information. From sensory impression to lifelong knowledge, memory plays a vital role in learning and personal development. While forgetting is inevitable, memory can be enhanced through practice, organisation, and healthy habits.

By understanding the mechanism of memory, students not only prepare well for exams but also gain insight into improving their learning efficiency in everyday life. 

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