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Memory 1
Running Head: Memory
Memory and Language
Cultural View of Memory
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University of Northern Iowa
Memory 2
Memory: What is it?
Ideas about memory within our culture encompass many beliefs, such as what
memory is and how it works. Culturally, we have ideas about how memory is stored, in
what situations we use it, and how we can improve it. Information about how our culture
thinks of memory was collected through personal interviews, and the results of these
interviews suggested that many people have similar ways to visualize it.
For example, when people were asked in what situations they use their memory,
many people responded with ideas such as important facts, names, special events, and
deadlines. However, a small portion of people interviewed found that they use memory in
all aspects of their life all the time.
This could suggest that regardless of what a personal response is to the question,
“What are some ways in which you use your memory?” people recognize the importance
of it. The responses gathered from my informants indicated that they did not usually think
about how one uses their memory; rather they take for granted that it is there in use.
The ways in which we think about memory metaphorically are of importance.
Many people tend to visualize memory as a set of structured files and folders, much as a
computer is organized. Another common theme is thinking of stored memories as being
stacked on top of one another, which means that memories on the bottom which are not
commonly accessed are harder to retrieve. However, these thoughts imply that people see
memory as having a sense of order; and most people interviewed felt that memory was
organized.
Memory 3
Storing and Recall
Since memory is commonly viewed as being organized, how do people believe
they can gain access to the information in these “files?” The overwhelming cultural
response seems to be that recalling information stored in memory requires effort.
However, many people said that recalling interesting or relevant material was easier than
recalling other types of information. In addition, it is also believed that in terms of storing
information, simple information is easiest to store.
People also felt that storing information required effort, and felt that a number of
techniques could be used to help store material and even improve the storage capacity of
memory. Important techniques are repetition and practice, which people feel produce a
positive effect on the storage of memory. These techniques seem to be especially
prevalent in our culture as we can observe by the adage, “practice makes perfect.”
In terms of other techniques, people felt that not only repetition and practice were
variables in improving memory, but that just keeping your mind active, or “playing mind
games,” (as my informant put it) can help improve quality of memory. Another technique
that people felt aided them in this was by making associations. One example an
individual gave was that when remembering a telephone number, she often looked to see
if there were any digits that had any significance to her, to make the number easier to
store, such as a birthday month or year.
While people employ many of the techniques described above when committing
something to memory, they also feel that there are certain kinds of memories that are
more accurate and easier to remember than others. Emotional events that occur in
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people’s lives are seen as more exact memories than ordinary memories that do not have
a strong emotional tie to them. An example of a traumatic event that provoked strong
emotion for people in this country is September 11th.
Is Memory Forever?
When people were asked if others’ memories were fairly accurate, there were a
wide range of responses, suggesting that there is probably not a rigid cultural belief about
this matter. While most people felt that memories were subject to some distortion, the
numbers ranged from 50-90% of people’s memories being accurate. However, when
informants were asked if their own personal memories were accurate, they seemed to feel
as though their own were more accurate than others’, though admitted that their
memories were probably subject to distortion as well. As one of my informants put it, “It
feels as though my memories are accurate, but rationally I think that they probably
aren’t.”
In addition to some memories losing accuracy, people also believe there are
memories that can be forgotten. When questioned how this occurred, most people had a
variety of answers to this phenomenon. These included memories fading, perhaps
because they are not recalled very often, and memories getting lost in other memories or
getting “lost in the jumble.”
However, many people believe that though some memories may be forgotten
altogether, others can be selective or become repressed. They believe this could happen if
a traumatic event occurred, especially if it happened in childhood. So while the memory
still exists, it is inaccessible to the conscious mind if the memory is repressed. If one’s
memory is selective on the other hand, one tends to remember happier memories. Yet,
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while most people believed that memories could be repressed or selectively forgotten,
they did not think that a memory could be erased entirely.
Most people agreed that there were two memory systems- short term and long
term- and that items placed in short term memory were usually not remembered unless
they were committed to long term memory. They believed that short term memory
included recent events and things to remember, such as having to remember a phone
number for a day, while long term memory lasted weeks and years.
Synopsis
Overall, people seem to think of memory as a fairly accurate record of their lives,
and tend to see memories as items that they are able to recall if the material has been
practiced or is significant to them. Most people also believe that memories with strong
emotional content are more accurate and easily remembered than ordinary ones.
The cultural view places an emphasis on repetition as a tool to aid remembrance.
In addition, though memories can be forgotten, this usually occurs when something is not
thought about often, or not repeated enough to remember. Finally, most people view
memory as an organized file-like system which contains records of facts and events, and
while recalling information from these “files” can require effort, most people believe
their own memory to contain a reasonably accurate account.