Lets say a person was asked to define memory. They might define memory as storing information in the brain, which is typical. However, there is more to memory then just that. The stored information has to actually stay in your memory, and be able to be retrieved when needed. You probably experienced the tip of the tongue phenomenon. The tip of the tongue phenomenon is when you memorized something, but when its time to remember it, it will just not come to you! It seems like its out of reach. Memory can be really puzzling, and Psychologists came up with three questions about memory. The first question is that when information is learned, then how does it get into your memory? Well, Encoding is the process of getting the information into the memory. It involves finding a way to memorize it. As you study the information, you might focus on the way it looks, means, or sounds. Lets say a couple people spend the same amount hours studying for the same exam. However, only half of them actually do well. Perhaps the people who did badly on the test didnt study in good conditions. If they were studying in their room, there are distractions there such as the phone, or television. The student probably did not pay much attention to their work. The people who did well might have studied in the library. Since the library has better study conditions, the student will pay more attention to their work. Therefore, attention is necessary to encode information. Attention is defined as focusing awareness on a narrowed range of stimuli or events. What it actually means is putting your concentration on something specific. However, Fergus Craik and Robert Lockhart brought about the idea that attention is not equal. There are several levels of attention. Some are stronger then others, and attention is divided into levels. When there is a weaker level of attention, the information is more likely to be forgotten. Yet, with a stronger level of attention there is...
