Losing keys and other everyday items isn’t always a sign of poor memory

“I spend an embarrassing amount of time looking for my phone, water bottle and keys. Our memory is not necessarily designed to remember where we put everyday objects like this». Word of Althea Need KaminskeAmerican psychologist and author, together with her colleague Megan Sumerackifrom the book «The psychology of memory».

The functioning of memory

The authors shed light on the mysteries of how memory works and suggest that anyone can increase their ability to remember, through simple techniques to improve learning or to help memorize names and numbers. A certain degree of forgetfulness – explain the two psychologists – is physiological, to allow the brain to remember more general information: The memory works not like a recording device, but more like a Wikipedia page, where details can be edited.

A huge impact

«People remember information better when they process it in a potentially risky situation, such as being stranded in an unknown land – they write -. If we were in a survival scenario where dehydration was a problem, we would be much more careful about water sources.” Memory has a huge impact on our daily lives and we must do everything we can to preserve it, knowing that some factors can worsen its functioning. For example, excessive alcohol consumption or sleep deprivation. Furthermore, memory is not just a collection of past events, it is also fundamental for the organization of the future.

The “recovery” technique

Some strategies can strengthen the ability to remember and also teach a more efficient learning method. A technique described in the book is that of “retrieval”, that is, the strategy of extracting facts from memory. An example is learning the name of a new colleague by saying it every time you meet him. Chess players remember the positions of the pieces on the board using a pattern, a way to organize new information in the brain. According to the authors of the book, anyone, even if they are not a chess champion, can use the scheme to memorize and recall complex information.

Deliberate practice

«Visual and auditory techniques can help anyone train their memory – they write -. The ability to remember the order of cards in a deck seems impressive, but it can be achieved by creating mental associations for each card.” And again: «Anyone who has studied knows that Regular practice is essential. But to become an expert in a field of learning, people must resort to deliberate practice. The difference is that deliberate practice involves intentional, deliberate attention, while regular practice involves only repetition.”