What is the process of encoding memories?

Are Struggles With Memory Impacting Your Daily Life?

While many people think memory challenges only occur due to age-related diseases like dementia or Alzheimer’s, some people experience struggles with memory as young adults. In these cases, difficulty remembering information is often the result of issues with encoding, or creating, memories. While encoding difficulties can result from excessive multi-tasking or sleep deprivation, in some cases, they can result from undiagnosed mental health conditions like depression or anxiety.

If you’re noticing changes in your memory, online therapy can help. For example, people with age-related cognitive changes are often prescribed cognitive stimulation therapy to help maintain their memory. Research shows that

However, if you’re experiencing memory loss from a young age and think it may be due to an underlying mental illness, online therapy can help improve your memory while addressing your underlying concerns. In fact, research confirms that online therapy can be a cost-effective and impactful method of obtaining treatment for psychiatric comorbidities like depression and anxiety.

What Is Encoding?

For decades, psychologists and researchers have been fascinated by the complexities of the memory process. Countless experiments have sought to understand and explain the phenomenon of memory. Though research has shed light on many aspects of memory, there is still more to discover about this essential life skill.

The first step to creating a memory is the process of encoding. This process involves your brain perceiving sensory input from the outside world, and changing (or encoding) it into memories. To better understand the role of encoding in memory, we must first understand the entire process of creating memories.

The Three Processes Of Memory And Learning

Psychologists have delineated the process of memory into three main stages. Each stage serves an integral role in how memory is created and recalled. These three stages include encoding, storage, and retrieval.

1. Encoding

When it comes to psychology, the term “encoding” describes how information enters our memory system from sensory input. This crucial first step in creating a new memory involves perceiving something through our senses, and having the brain process it into memorable information. Information is encoded in several different ways.

2. Storage

Memory storage involves retaining informationin the brain. The brain takes encoded information and filters it as either a sensory (very short-term), short-term, or long-term memory. Memories aren’t stored neatly in one spot of the brain. Instead, different elements of memory are stored in disparate parts of the brain and linked together by neural networks. The more information is repeated through the neural networks, the more likely it will be stored in long-term memory.

3. Retrieval

Memory retrieval, or remembering, involves recalling or re-accessing previously encoded and stored information. There are two main methods for accessing memory: recognition and recall.

• Recognition occurs when a physical object or event brings up a previous memory. This largely unconscious process is engaged when you recognize faces, remember the answers to multiple-choice test questions, or easily navigate around your area.
• Recall involves remembering a fact, object, or event that is not physically present. This process requires the direct revealing of information from memory. Recall includes remembering the name of someone you recognize and recalling information to complete fill-in-the-blank questions.

The Role Of Encoding In Memory

Encoding is the first step of the memory process. This is where our brain takes in various sensory input and "encodes" it into something accessible for later use. Without proper encoding, our brains would not have the ability to store and retrieve memories.

Main Types Of Encoding

Our brains rely on all our senses to obtain information. Our senses provide a variety of ways to absorb information and encode it, including:

• Acoustic encoding: The process of encoding sounds, words, and other auditory input for storage and retrieval. Acoustic encoding includes using your inner voice to recite information to strengthen memories, for example, mentally going over facts for a test.
• Visual encoding: The process of encoding images and visual sensory information. Visual information is temporarily stored within iconic memory before being encoded in long-term storage. Since most of us absorb so much visual information daily, this type of information tends to be forgotten easily.
• Tactile encoding: The process of encoding how something feels. Tactile encoding usually occurs through touch, although it can also occur with smells or tastes. Neurons in the somatosensory cortex react to vibrotactile stimuli caused by the feel or texture of an object. Tactile encoding could include remembering the feeling of your first kiss, the taste of your favorite meal, or the feeling of cuddling with your favorite pet.
• Semantic encoding: The process of encoding sensory input with a particular meaning or context. Semantic encoding involves remembering facts, ideas, and concepts not drawn from personal experience, such as word definitions, the dates of specific events, and the location of places on a map. Research suggests our semantic encoding is much more memorable when we attach importance and emotions to the information (see mnemonics below).
• Elaborative encoding: The process of actively relating new information or knowledge to something already in memory. Most memories are a combination of old and new information, and our interpretation of them depends on the old information as well as new information coming to our senses. For example, a novice pianist may remember her first recital as exciting and excellent. As she gets better and performs more, while she may still see her first recital as exciting, she may think her previous playing was sloppy and amateur.
• Organizational encoding: The process of classifying information associated with other information, like identifying relationships between a series of items. Like elaborative encoding, organizational encoding involves encoding existing memories differently. One example of organizational encoding is knowing cats, dogs, monkeys, and humans are mammals.

As you can see, there are many ways we encode information to store in our memories. Each type of encoding involves different brain areas and functions. For example, we tend to have a better chance at remembering things we hear (acoustic) or that has some importance to us (semantic).

How Does The Brain Encode?

After receiving sensory input, the brain has to determine if the information is worth remembering. Experts believethe hippocampus and frontal cortex are responsible for analyzing sensory input and determining its value.

Memory is encoded using the brain's language of electricity and chemicals. Nerve cells connect with other cells at a connection point called a synapse. Electrical pulses carrying messages leap between cells as synapses and trigger the release of chemical messengers known as neurotransmitters. Neurotransmitters then diffuse across cells, creating links and neural pathways essential to creating memories.

These connections between cells change all the time based on the information the brain receives. This is why we may remember something differently as time goes on or organize previously stored memories into meaningful categories.

As brain cells send signals to one another, the synapses between them can get stronger. This is why practicing and repetition can help you memorize facts or play a new instrument.

The Importance Of Distinctiveness To Encoding

Psychologists determined distinctiveness is necessary for information to be encoded in long-term memory. For example, you may walk your dog every day. You may have a couple of set routes where you pass various houses, parks, and buildings. While you may remember walking your dog two weeks ago, you probably cannot typically recall any specific details about the occasion.

Now imagine one day your dog got away from its leash and started running down the block. Your dog was almost hit by a car, and it took three people to chase it down. A month later, you would probably still remember that experience in vivid detail. You might remember how you felt when your dog got away; the color and make of the car that almost ran over your dog; and the faces, clothes, and names of those who helped you retrieve your dog. You’d likely remember these items because the experience was much different from your typical walks. In addition, the strong emotions you felt as your dog narrowly escaped injury may also add to your vivid recall of the experience.

Emotions play such an important role in encoding and storing information that even recalling highly charged events you didn't personally experience (like public tragedies) can conjure vivid memories of when you heard the news. This experience is often referred to as flashbulb memory. Because of the distinct emotion you experienced, your mind permanently stored the details surrounding your experience of the news in long-term memory.

Tips For Better Memory Encoding

Our brains have evolved to encode memories obtained through a variety of senses, but some encoding methods are more effective than others. For example, although writing is an effective way to explain and break down complex subjects, our brains tend to have a harder time encoding written information.

By understanding encoding, we can find ways to improve our memory recall. Mnemonics offer a powerful way for the brain to encode difficult information and commit it to memory. Mnemonics are a memory tool that make it easier to encode and recall difficult-to-remember information. If, for example, you’re trying to remember musical notes on the treble clef, you may use the phrase, "Every good boy deserves fudge," to recall the notes E, G, B, D, and F on the staff's lines. This is an example of mnemonics.

Mnemonics are typically most effective when we engage our other senses using vivid mental images By adding imagination, association, and location to our mnemonics, the brain encodes them more effectively, making them are easier to recall. To make your mnemonics most effective, try:

• Imagination: The more strongly you imagine and visualize a mnemonic, the easier it may stick with you. Use imagery important to you and as vivid as needed to create lasting memories.
• Association: As mentioned above, one way the brain encodes information is by associating and organizing information into groups. When imagining associations, picture them stacked; crashing into each other; or linked by the same color, smell, or feeling.
• Location: If there are similar types of information you have to remember, consider placing your mnemonic images in different mental landscapes or settings. This helps the brain keep them separate and avoids confusion.

Using vivid mental imagery isn’t the only way to help you with mnemonics. You can also try:

• Using humor to help the brain remember.
• Utilizing symbols to encode complex messages quickly and effectively.
• Thinking of pleasant, positive images, as your brain often blocks out unpleasant ones.
• Making your images vivid, colorful, and appealing to a variety of senses.

Physical And Mental Health Conditions That Can Affect Memory Encoding

Many people associate poor memory with mental health conditions like dementia and Alzheimer’s disease. These conditions often involve the last two stages of memory—memory storage and retrieval. If you are younger and experiencing memory difficulties, it could be a result of problems with encoding. Many factors can impact your encoding ability, but they’re not necessarily a cause for concern. If you’re noticing changes in your memory, it could be due to:

• Excessive multi-tasking or a busy lifestyle
• Adult
• Sleep apnea
• Sleep deprivation
• Thyroid problems
• Vitamin B12 deficiency
• Depression
• Anxiety

If you are concerned a mental illness may be affecting your memory, getting assistance from a therapist can help you identify the root cause. Online therapy can be an effective option for people experiencing memory loss due to an underlying condition, because your therapist is accessible from the comfort of your home. If your symptoms from depression or anxiety, for example, make it hard to leave the house, you can still get the treatment you deserve with online therapy. Additionally, online therapists can be reached through in-app messaging, even after your appointment is complete. If you find you forget to ask questions during your therapy appointment, you can easily message your therapist after your appointment, and they’ll respond when they’re able.

Online therapy platforms like BetterHelp.com provide licensed and accredited psychotherapy services that are generally more accessible and affordable than in-person therapy services. If you’re hoping to strengthen your mental health, reach out to BetterHelp today.

Excellent.

Note: human-memory.net is not a reputable source. Please find an appropriate source and insert one. (See page 15 of Writer Guidelines for more information.)

Excellent use of concrete examples.

Please find an appropriate source (since the sentence begins with “research suggests”).

science.howstuffworks.com is not a reputable source; please find an appropriate one instead

Moving forward, please note that ADD is an outdated term, and ADHD should be used instead. We’ll make a note in the Therapeutic Standards!

Moving forward, please note that ADD is an outdated term and we should use ADHD instead. We’ll make a note in the Therapeutic Standards!

Excellent job building a clear connection between online therapy and the article’s topic!

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