Why can you temporarily forget stuff? If the memory is gone, why isn’t it just gone forever?
In: Biology
Neuropsychologists talk about differences between at least three different types of memory recall, and some are easier than others. It is possible that when you’re using a more difficult method you may not be able to retrieve a memory, but when you are able to use an alternative method it may be easier.
Specifically, *free recall* is the most difficult. Imagine if I asked you to recall 16 items of a shopping list for example.
An easier method is *cued-recall*. Imagine if I then asked you to recall all the items on your shopping list that were fruits, then all the ones that were items of clothing, then the ones that are tools, for example. This is easier than free recall. The semantic category acts as a cue that helps you remember the items in that category.
Even easier is *recognition*. Imagine if I then asked you, “Which of these was on your shopping list: An apple or a banana?” Recognition is easiest of the three.
Neuropsychologists can distinguish between problems with encoding (i.e., putting the memory in) versus retrieval (i.e., getting the memory out) by looking at the differences between these three. For example, if your recognition is *way* better than your free recall, it suggests that the memory is being encoded, but there are difficulties with retrieval.
(This example is based on a particular memory test used by clinical neuropsychologists called the California Verbal Learning Test).
Source: Am a clinical psychologist who wrote both my Honours and Masters theses in clinical neuropsychology of schizophrenia.
Latest Answers