Psychology for Nurses Memory and forgetting

1. MEMORY
PRESENTED BY-
Mr.Vivekananda D S

2. Memory is regarded as a special ability of our mind to conserve or
store what has been previously learned or experienced to recollect or
reproduce it after some time.
Memory is a complex process, which involves learning, retention,
recall and recognition.
Definition-
• Memory consists in remembering what has previously been learned.
(Woodworth and Marquis—1948)
• The power that we have to ‘store’ our experiences, and to bring them
into the field of consciousness sometime after experiences have
occurred, is termed memory. (Ryburn—1956)
• The ability or power of our mind to store the past experiences of
learning & utilizing them at a later stage is known as Memory.

3. TYPES OF MEMORY-
1.Immediate or Sensory Memory
It is the memory, which helps an individual to recall something a split
second after having perceived it. In such type of memory retentive time
is extremely brief generally from a fraction of a second to several
seconds.
Immediate memory is needed, when we want to remember a thing for a
short time and then forget it, which helps us to learn a thing
immediately with speed and accuracy.
For example, We enter cinema hall, see the seat number given on our
ticket. After occupying the seat, we forget the seat number.

4. 2.Short term Memory
As name suggests, this type of memory is also temporary and short-
lived like immediate memory.
Its impressions do not disappear or erase quickly.
Short-term memory (STM) holds a relatively small amount of
information, about seven items, for a short period of (20–30 seconds)
time though not nearly as short-lived as the immediate memory.
Ex: What you had for breakfast in the morning, where you parked
your vehicle?

5. 3.Long-term Memory
Long-term memory (LTM) has the unlimited capacity to store
information for days, months, years and even a lifetime.
It is also referred as Permanent memory.
Long-term memory can be categorized into
• Declarative memory- information about things is stored.
• Procedural memory-information regarding how to do things is stored
in procedural memory.
Declarative memory can be further subdivided
Episodic memory (events & episodes)
Semantic memory (general knowledge)

6. Nature or Characteristics of Memory
• Registering or Encoding information-where a memory trace is
formed from translating the sensory data.
• Storage– it is either temporary or permanent.
• Output– it involves retrieval – memory would be useless unless they
could be retrieved.

7. THE PROCESS OF MEMORY
1.Learning or Registration
What is learnt leaves its after effect which is conserved in the forms of engrains
composed of memory images or traces.
2. Retention
These engrains or memory traces are preserved in our brain with the help of our
nervous system. This process is known as retention.
3. Recall
Recall means perfect revival of the past experiences.
4.Recognition
Recognition means that the recalled experience at the conscious level is the
same from which the individual wanted to recall and had experience earlier.
Recall and recognition are closely related. Recall provides the material in memory,
while recognition is the process of accepting or rejecting it. Recall is an active
process, recognition is more a passive behavior.

8. FACTORS INFLUENCING MEMORY
1.Intrinsic Factors
• Physical/mental health
• Age
• Maturity
• Will to learn
• Interest and attention
• Intelligence
• Rest & sleep
• Nutrition deficiencies
• Alcohol and other drugs
• Trauma

9. 2. Extrinsic Factors
• Amount of material to be memorized
• Time required to vocalize responses
• Methods and techniques of memorization
• Distraction

10. Methods of Memorizing
• Recitation method
• Repetition/practice
• Whole and Part method
• Space and Unspaced Method(distributed and massed practice)
• Making Use of the Principle of Association
• Grouping and Rhythm
• Pulling at all Together
• Funnel Approach
• Acronym (eg-RGUHS)
• Mnemonics (eg-dog, envelope, thirteen, yarn, window), one could create a
link system, such as a story about a “dog stuck in an envelope mailed to an
unlucky black cat playing with yarn by the window”.

11. • Acrostic
eg-One of our trained teacher asked for very good van at hospital -
Optic, Olfactory, Oculomotor, Trochlear, Trigeminal, Abducens, Facial,
Vestibulocochlear, Glossopharyngeal, Vagus, Accessory, Hypoglossal.

12. FORGETTING
Forgetting is just the opposite of remembering.
Forgetting means a failure to recall a fact, an idea, or a group of ideas.
It is the weakening of the bonds that were formed in learning.
• Definitions
• Forgetting is the loss, permanent or temporary, of the ability to recall or
recognize something learned earlier. (Munn–1967)
• Forgetting means failure at any time to recall an experience, when
attempting to do so or to perform an action previously learned.
• (Drever–1952)

13. Types of Forgetting
• Natural Forgetting
Forgetting occurs with the lapse of time in a quite normal way without any
intention of forgetting on the part of the individual.
• Morbid Forgetting (Abnormal)
Person deliberately tries to forget something (repression).
According to some other view, forgetting may be classified as general or
specific:
• General forgetfulness one suffers a total loss in recalling some previous
learning.
• Specific forgetfulness the individual forgets only one or the other specific
part of his earlier learning.

14. According to Another Classification
• Physical forgetfulness one loses his memory on account of the factors of
age, disease, biological malfunctioning of the brain and nervous system,
accidents, consumption of liquor or other intoxicating materials, etc.
• Psychological forgetfulness one loses his memory on account of factors like
stress, anxiety, conflicts, temper provocation, lack of interest, apathy,
repression or similar other emotional and psychic difficulties.

15. CAUSES OF FORGETTING
• Inadequate impression at the time of learning: Intention or will or forceful
learning
• Lapse of time
• Interference of association-We forget because we tend to learn new things all
the time and new learning interferes in the retention of old learning.
• Rise of emotions
• Poor health and defective mental state
• Inadequate repetition or practice of learning material

16. Theories of Forgetting
Trace Decay Theory (Neural Decay or Theory of Disuse)-
• Forgetting is natural & universal phenomenon.
• what is learnt or experienced is forgotten with the lapse of time.
• The cause of such natural forgetting can be explained through a process
known as decay of the memory trace.
Interference Theory- interference of association theory-
• The interfering effects of association can work both ways, backward and
forward. The psychological term used for these types of interference is
Retroactive inhibition and Proactive inhibition.
In Retroactive inhibition the acquisition of new learning works backward to
impair the retention of the previously learned material.

17. • Proactive inhibition is just the reverse of retroactive inhibition. Here the
old learning or experiences retained in our memory works forward to disrupt
the memory of what we acquire or learn afterwards.
Repression Theory or Motivated forgetting theory-
• Freud’s psychoanalytic school of psychology.
• Repression is a mental function that safeguards the mind from the impact of
painful experiences.
• we push the unpleasant and painful memories into the unconscious and thus try to
avoid at least consciously the conflicts that bother us. This leads to forgetting
things, which we do not want to remember.
The Theory of Storage failure-

18. Implications for Nurses
• Beneficial in both personal & professional levels.
• Effective development/improvement of their memory.
• Minimizing the things that yield into forgetting.
• Advise patients & others there is no any wonder products which increase
memory or decrease forgetfulness. She should be away from such
misleading advertisements.