What is short term memory? As scientists are continuing to study the brain and how it operates we are learning more each day on how the brain processes and stores memory. We are also finding out ways to give those processes a boost.

So what is short term memory? Simply put it is the memory function in the brain that most consciously holds and processes events, images, information, etc. It is a holding area of sorts for our brains to decide to either put those memories to use promptly and/or commit them to long term storage. It is both a filter and a workplace for things we are processing. Information in short term memory is most readily available for us to use and access compared to long term memory.

Trying to describe short term memory as an exact process in the brain is a bit trickier. Science is still working on the specifics of how this works and where in the brain it works, though they have made progress in both those areas.

Typically short term memory holds items for roughly a minute or so…there is some debate as to the exact duration. It has limited capacity too, being able to hold on average 5 – 9 pieces of data. This is where trying to describe short term memory capacity get fuzzy. Pieces of data can range from single numbers or letters to whole words or phrases that the brain treats as a “single” piece of data usually because it is familiar and has already been learned.

An example of this is a phone number. The number 485-553-1182 would be 10 pieces of data if each number were treated independently. However, grouping them into larger numbers works as well and reduces the number of “items” such as 48-55-53-11-82. The brain would now treat these as five items instead of 10 because the larger numbers are familiar and it knows what to do with them. So the amount of information held in short term memory is somewhat dependent on how that information is organized and if it is related to things already in long term memory.

When trying to describe short term memory enhancement most scientist talk in terms of technique. That is they look at skills a person can employ that make better use of the function. We’ve looked at one already and that is what is called “chunking”. Chunking is taking data and organizing it into larger chunks that can be treated as a single piece of data much like we did with the phone number above. This allows the memory to hold more information than it would if you tried to remember the individual components.

Another technique is by looking at what is short term memory capable of handling in terms of duration. Since the useful life of items in short term memory is seconds to a minute or so, a person must resort to repetition in order to keep an item in short term memory for a longer period of time. We already do this unconsciously on a daily basis such as repeating a phone number until we have a chance to enter it into the phone. While not a new technique, science has validated it as a way of “resetting” the clock on the memory before it expires. An additional bonus to this is that it also makes the item a more likely candidate for being entered into long term memory.

One last thing to consider when looking at what is short term memory is the physical processes behind it. Again, science is still trying to understand exactly how this works, but it is a given that it relies on nerve cells and neurotransmitters just like any other function in the brain. That may seem obvious, but it is important as this is also a factor in how we might enhance memory.

Studies are showing that since this is a natural brain process it can be affected by various substances just like the rest of the brain. Therefore, using things like Ginkgo Biloba, Ginseng, Bacopin, etc. which have been shown to enhance nerve function and L-Tyrosine and Aceytl L-Carnitine which help with neurotransmitter production and use can boost all brain functions including short term memory.

By looking at what is short term memory and how it functions we can better understand how to positively benefit it. From simple memory techniques to using natural supplements to enhance function there are things we can do to increase our memory ability. The more we learn, the more we come to understand that our brains like much of our body can be worked on and improved. We don’t have to just take it as it comes, but can attempt to improve it if we try.

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