19+-+Question

Discuss the concept of storage decay, and describe Ebbinghaus’ forgetting curve.
Name: Tayler Nash Date: 1/19/2015

Storage decay is the fading of memories over time. It applies only to short term memory and sensory storage, long term memories are able to withstand decay for seemingly infinite periods of time. The way to keep memories from decaying is through rehearsal. Ebbinghaus hypothesized a forgetting curve, which graphs the decline of memory retention through time, it shows how memory is lost over time if there is no attempt to retain it. The following formula roughly represents the curve =  where R is memory retention, S is the relative strength of memory, and t is time. Ebbinghaus, in order to back up his theory studied his own memory retention. The speed of forgetting also relies on a number of other factors, such as stress, amount of sleep, the difficulty of the material, and how important one finds the material.

http://www.mentormegate.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/theforgettingcurve4.png

Works Cited "Forgetting." //- Memory Psychology//. Psychologist World, n.d. Web. 19 Jan. 2015. "Wiki." //Forgetting Curve//. Training Industry, n.d. Web. 20 Jan. 2015.   Comments: Nice answer! According to Ebbinghaus, much of what we learned can be forgotten quickly. Initially, the speed at which we forget memory is quite fast and then levels off with time-- for example, people might forget what they have learned after three years but will remember what they remember then till years later. Also, retaining learned information daily will decrease the effects of the forgetting curve. For example, reviewing your psychology notes after 24 hours of learning will reduce the amount of knowledge forgotten. Citation:  McMahon, Mary, and Nancy Fann-Im. "What Is the Decay Theory?" //WiseGeek //<span style="background-color: #f2f2f2; font-family: 'Open Sans','Helvetica Neue',Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">. Conjecture, n.d. Web. 22 Jan. 2015. <http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-the-decay-theory.htm>.