How are long-term memories formed, and how can this process lead to inaccuracies in memory?
1 Answer
By rehearsing information
Explanation:
I assume you are referring to the multi store model by Atkinson and Shiffrin?
The sensory memory can hold information for less than a second and can take in one bit of information at a time. By paying attention it will go into the STM.
The STM can hold 7 (+/- 2) bit of information at a time and lasts less than a minute. Only if you rehearse it then it will go into the long term memory.
The long-term memory can hold unlimited parts of information and can last up to a lifetime.
Memories can be changed over time though to fit in with your schemas. Also what other people tell you can change your memory. Sometimes suppressed memories can come to light and affect you too it's just a matter of changing what happened to fit in with what you "know" from your schemas. This makes your memory a little unreliable.
Also interference from other similar times/subjects can change the way that you remember. The context/setting could change the way you remember things too.
A lot of things can interfere with your memory. The best way to keep your memory as accurate as possible is to keep going over things the way that you remember them.
