How to Transfer Information From Short-Term Memory to Long-Term Memory

Ah, memory -- something that all humans possess to varying degrees, but few can ever seem to harness. Most people have had the frustrating experience of meeting someone, learning their name, and upon running into them several weeks later having not a clue what their name might be. This little lapse occurs when information that is stored in short-term memory never makes the leap to long-term memory.



According to the American Psychological Association, short-term memory is of limited capacity and only stores information for a short period of time. Long-term memory, on the other hand, is defined as memory processes that involve the preservation of information for retrieval at a later date. Though memory often feels like an intangible enigma, certain activities can help the transfer of information from short- to long-term memory.

Instructions

• 1

  Rehearse, rehearse and rehearse some more. The Atkinson-Shiffrin model of human memory involves three stages: encoding, storing and retrieving. When a person initially receives new information, the information is encoded, which involves receiving, processing and combining the new facts. During the initial process, people should repeat the news in a meaningful way and frequently to increase the likelihood that it will be stored. Rehearsal or conscious repetition has been found to greatly increase a person's ability to convert short-term memories to long term.

• 2

  Store memories effectively. After new information is encoded, it will be stored in short-term memory. In order for the information to be retrieved at a later date, it must be categorized in a way that an individual can recall. According to Dr. Douglas J. Mason -- The Memory Doctor -- memories that are stored properly will be recalled when certain cues arise. Therefore, making more associations can help connect the memory to other triggers. For example, if a person needs to remember to purchase apples on the way home, they might imagine buying the apples at a specific store that they will pass, so the image of the store helps trigger the memory.

• 3

  Don't allow too much mental baggage. Due to the limited space available in short-term memory, information overload can hinder memory at both the short- and long-term levels. According to Psychology Today, the human brain cannot handle dozens of ideas simultaneously, which is why they are soon forgotten.

• 4

  Be active. Memories are stored in the brain and the brain is, after all, a human organ that is affected by physical health. According to a study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, which researched sedentary versus exercising mice, scientists found that active mice enhanced the formation of new nerve cells in the brain, in addition to enhancing the connection between nerve cells, which improves long-term memory.

• 5

  Research shows that sleep aids long-term memory storage.

  Get more sleep. According to a study published in the Journal of Neuroscience, the brain organizes and evaluates memories during sleep. Information that is processed by the brain during the day is recalled during sleep and then categorized. However, researchers found that information associated with a future event is more likely to get moved into long-term memory. Therefore, if an individual is interested in retrieving information at a later date, making a connection during consciousness increases the likelihood that the facts will move from short-term to long-term memory.