The chapter I was assigned to read was one of a personal curiosity to me. It was that of Chapter 7, Memory. This chapter detailed what exactly memory was, as the retention of information over time. It went into detail on how memory can hurt or harm us, and the various types of memory. It also explained how we learn and remember things through various methods, through a process called encoding.
Encoding in particular stuck out to me, as it refers to the process of putting information into the memory banks. The section of the chapter that discusses encoding explained the method of encoding, in that one must actively seek to encode information to remember it. The chapter describes various ways to memorize, such as mnemonics (Please Excuse My Dear Aunt Sally), rhymes, pictures, and various other methods.
The second step listed to memorize something is to store it in our memory. Much like a book, one must file the memory where it fits with other memories of a similar topic. Previous memories to form a generalization, called a schema, are used to have frames of reference for understanding new information.
The final step is the retrieval of the memory, when one must access the memory. Recollection, recognition, and relearning are three methods that are used to assess memory, and how strong one's memory truly is.
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