Essentials Of Psychology: Three-System Approach

Memory
Erika Durant 21992273
August 4, 2014
Essentials of Psychology SSC130
Essay 25072400

There are three processes that take place in order for memory to take place. These processes are encoding, storing, and retrieving information. Memory has a theory known as the three-system approach that helps explain how information goes through three memory or storage stages in which memory must travel before it can be remembered. The three-system approach includes the following stages: sensory memory, short-term memory and long-term memory. The first stage sensory memory is “the initial, momentary storage of information, lasting only an instant” (201). Sensory memory is the first reaction of a stimulus that is presented to us.
The type of rehearsal is what determines whether the information stays in short-term memory or long-term memory. For example, if you are watching television and you see a phone number for a lawyer but you do not have a piece of paper and a pen readily available you will rehearse the phone number until you are able to write it down. However, if you want to remember the phone number for a longer period of time, you could write down the phone number and keep repeating it so that it can be transferred into your long-term memory storage.
The third and final stage of memory is long-term memory. Long-term memory is defined as “memory that stores information on a relatively permanent basis, although it may be difficult to retrieve” (202). The capacity of long-term memory seems to be endless, and information can be stored here for years to come.
Within long-term memory there are four different memory modules. These memory modules are declarative memory, procedural memory, semantic memory, and episodic
This type of memory is how we remember how to do things. For example, if you have not ridden a bike in ten years, and you get back on one, you will automatically remember how to do it. This is due to the procedural memory within the long-term memory storage.
Semantic memory is “memory for general knowledge and facts about the world, as well as memory for the rules of logic that are used to deduce other facts” (204). Due to semantic memory we are able to know that a red light means stop and a green light means go. There are many facts similar to these that are stored within semantic memory.
Episodic memory is “memory for events that occur in a particular time, place, or context” (205). This can be shown how we can remember when we learned how to swim. For example, I learned how to swim at camp when I was younger. Doing the act would be considered procedural memory, where as remembering how I learned the act is episodic memory.
Long-term memory, though the capacity is endless, is responsible for a lot of daily thoughts and activities. For example due to long-term memory I am able to type this essay because I learned how to