Question: Is there a way to prevent short term memory loss?

Alex Reid answered on 14 Nov 2018: last edited 14 Nov 2018 3:09 pm

Hi Jack, thank you for your question. One type of short term memory is called ‘working memory’.This is kind of short-term memory buffer that lets the average adult temporarily store around 5-9 items (it will be a bit less for younger people). ‘Items’ here is a key term which you can take advantage of if you want to prevent memory loss. What I mean by this is that you can ‘chunk’ things up to reduce the number of items you have to learn. For example, if you had to remember a long number, say, 3483385830028483, which is 16 items, try and split it down into smaller chunks, so ‘3483’ ‘3858’ ‘3002’ and ‘8483’. By doing it that way, you now only have four items to remember. Another way is rehearsal, which you may already naturally do. If someone tells you a phone number you are trying to remember you may find yourself saying it over and over while you scrabble for a pen and paper! Lastly, another technique you could use when encountering something new for the first time, is pair it in your imagination with something else you already know, preferably in a scenario with actions or movement. This can provide a stronger memory cue, which helps prevent the rapid forgetting of new information.