Short-term memory provides retention and subsequent reproduction of operational information. Its presence in humans was proved by the German scientist German Ebbingaus in 1885. He evaluated the reproduction efficiency of random letters, numbers and symbols after one reading and proved that such information can be accurately reproduced in a limited amount. The amount of short-term memory takes an average of 5-10 units. Why does a person need RAM?
The main property of such a memory is its short duration, since the information is stored for several minutes, and sometimes even seconds. The mechanism of short-term memory is quite complex, and a unified theory on this subject does not yet exist. Whatever information you would like to master, any memorization begins with complex electrochemical processes in the brain, because short-term memory is based on the impulsive activity of neurons and the circulation of excitation along closed chains of neurons.
The use of strong electrical effects on the human brain played a very important role in determining the mechanisms of memory functioning . The results of the study showed that after exposure to electric shock there is retrograde amnesia, which manifests itself in the fact that a person does not remember anything about the events that preceded such an effect on the brain. The same amnesia results from severe concussion, bruising, and anesthesia. The duration of retrograde amnesia can tell about the time of memory consolidation, that is, about how much it takes for short-term memory to become long-term. As a rule, memory consolidation begins after 5-10 minutes.
The study of the development of the state of retrograde amnesia on the example of man has enabled scientists to formulate a hypothesis about the mechanism of short-term memory. This is a hypothesis of reverberation of excitation along closed neural chains. It was found that in closed chains, neural circulation (another name for reverb) lasts a couple of minutes, saving data in the form of a certain sequence of pulses. The latter are transmitted from one neuron to another. It is believed that during movement, the effect of any stimulus preserves a neural trace.
The above hypothesis is directly related to everyday experience and suggests that learning requires constant practice - the repeated conduct of the material under study through consciousness. Thus, short-term memory becomes long-term.
Short-term memory is a type of memory characterized by a very short data storage time. The information received is lost due to the influence of the time factor or due to the new arrival of the next portion of information. In addition, short-term memory is characterized by a relatively small number of reproducible elements. The received information gets into long-term memory from short-term or sensory memory only when an individual draws attention to it and repeats it repeatedly. Due to the enlargement of units of information that fall into short-term memory, the total number of elements can increase. Saving data within such a memory is carried out in modal form.
Recently, scientists have been working not only to explain the phenomenon of short-term memory and its mechanisms, but also on methods for testing and training it. Today, there are many special tests and tasks that will help determine what your short-term memory is and evaluate it according to various parameters.