Understanding the principles of brain learning and memory, and exploring the truth behind memory storage and retrieval, will allow you to learn faster and more effectively in the same amount of time.
👉How does the brain build memories? First, consider where memories are stored in the brain.
Now, let's understand the basic structure of the brain. The brain is composed of different modules, each with a different function.
As shown in the diagram, the brain regions are the core areas used for learning: the entorhinal cortex, which acts like a filter, specifically filtering information entering the brain; the hippocampus, the area where new memories are built; and the neocortex, the area where memories are stored. Once information is marked as "stored," it is stored here. Different areas of the brain perform their respective functions, constantly updating information from the past, present, and possible future.
So, specifically, how are memories formed?
Let me tell you a story. Morales was an epilepsy patient. During treatment, doctors believed the best treatment plan was to remove two finger-sized lobes from Morales's brain, including part of the hippocampus. After the surgery, Moraison's epilepsy improved significantly. However, he lost the ability to form new memories.
Moraison could remember someone's phone number for about 30 seconds and chat with others as usual, but he would forget it afterward. Every meal or meeting a friend felt like the first time. Without the hippocampus, Moraison was unable to form new memories or remember anything new; many things after the surgery were new to him.
Although Moraison couldn't remember new names, people, or things, he still remembered all the names, people, and things he already knew before the surgery. In other words, those memories, once formed, were stored in a certain area of the brain, and even removing the hippocampus wouldn't affect them.
That area storing memories is the neocortex. The neocortex is the outermost part of the brain, and memories are stored in this area after they are formed.
Let's review how the brain constructs memories: When we experience something, cells in the brain "snap up." Then, the hippocampus connects these lit neurons into a network. Finally, memories are fixed in certain arrangements and combinations along different points of different functions in the neocortex of the brain.
👉How are memories stored and retrieved?
All memories possess two capabilities: storage and retrieval. Storage capability refers to the ability to store memories, used to measure how firmly we store what we have learned.
Speaking of memory storage capability, we must mention the brain's ability to forget. In many people's minds, forgetting is a very negative thing. Actually, this is not the case; we have overlooked the positive effects of forgetting. We think forgetting is a terrible thing, a failure of the brain, but in reality, forgetting is often a good teacher and friend to learning.
The positive effect of forgetting is the filtering function of junk information. For example, forgetting is like when we exercise muscles, they first wear down and then grow back. When we retrieve information stored in the brain, in order to strengthen certain important content, it is inevitable to ignore some unimportant content.
If there is no forgetting at all, absorbing all knowledge will not be beneficial for long-term learning. Think about it, if we memorized everything, in most cases, we would be as bad as if we hadn't memorized anything at all.
Therefore, forgetting is not only a passive decay process, but also an active filtering process. Forgetting blocks out distracting information and clears away useless memory clutter. The brain only retains things that are meaningful, useful, or interesting.
Memory retrieval ability differs from storage ability; it measures the ease with which something is retrieved into consciousness. For example, you're more likely to remember a colleague's name than your first-grade Chinese teacher's. Here, retrieval ability refers to how quickly you can recall someone's name.
Memory retrieval ability strengthens through learning and repeated use. Conversely, if retrieval ability is not strengthened, it declines rapidly. Memory itself is not "lost," nor does it fade as we might think. What is "lost" is actually the memory we cannot retrieve immediately; its retrieval ability is currently very low, almost zero.
Research shows that the more effort we put into retrieving a memory, the higher its retrieval and storage abilities will be afterward—meaning the more solid the learning.
👉How can we remember new knowledge?
Recreating the environment is a powerful tool for enhancing memory. The environment around us during our last learning session, including lighting and background music, sends cues to the brain, helping us retrieve more information.
Psychologists conducted an experiment where 18 divers learned a 36-word vocabulary list at a depth of 6 meters. They then divided the divers into two groups: one group took the test on land, and the other group took it again underwater. The results showed that those who took the test underwater recalled about 30% more words than those on land.
Therefore, recreating the initial learning environment during the test enhances memory retention. In fact, we absorb far more information into our minds than we consciously realize, and some of this information, such as intangible elements like music and lighting, influences our memory.
Furthermore, breaking down a single concentrated learning session into several smaller sessions with intervals between them also promotes learning; psychologists call this "distributed learning." Using this method, you learn just as much, but retain it for a much longer period. Therefore, when studying, it's better to learn a little today and a little tomorrow than to try to learn everything at once; this approach is much more effective.
Two key points for spaced learning are optimal intervals and minimal review time. After learning a new concept, you don't need to review it immediately, as this won't significantly improve memory. However, reviewing it an hour or a day later will show its effectiveness.
The intervals should be as long as possible to maintain a minimum repetition frequency, while also being short enough to ensure the knowledge is still retained. For example, when learning a foreign language, the optimal review interval is: review it within one or two days after the first learning, then again after a week, then after a month, and so on, with even longer intervals afterward.
Reviewing at intervals is a much more reliable preparation method than cramming all night. Using this method, you'll remember what you learn for longer, even at the start of the next semester. Research shows that spaced learning retains up to twice as much information as learning it all at once.
No comments:
Post a Comment