r part of short-term memory is called chunking, used for the immediate recall of letters rather than numbers. When told to remember and repeat the letters q s v l e r c i i u k, only a person with an excellent immediate memory would be able to do so. But, if the same letters were given this way, q u i c k s i l v e r, the results would be different. What is the difference between the two sequences? The first were 11 unrelated letters, and the second were chunked into two words which makes this task easier. (1993) “Short-term memory recall is slightly better for random numbers than for random letters, which sometimes have similar sounds. It is better for information heard rather than seen. Still, the basic principals hold true: At any given moment, we can process only a very limited amount of information." (Myers, 1995) The next part in the memory process involves the encoding and merging of information from short-term into long-term memory. Long-term memory is understood as having three separate stages: transfer, storage, and retrieval. Once information has entered LTM, with a size that appears to be essentially unlimited, it is maintained by repetition or organization. A major part of the transfer process concerns how learned information is coded into memory. Long-term and short-term memory are thought to have different organizations. Where the STM is seen as being organized by time, LTM is organized by meaning and association then put into categories. For example, our memory takes in Coke and Pepsi as drinks then organizes and puts them in categories such as soda. An important role in the transferring of information into long-term memory is rehearsal. The critical aspect is the type of rehearsal or processing that takes place during the input time. “Simple repetition, which serves only to maintain the immediate availability of an item, does little if anything to enhance subsequent recall. Active processes such as elaborati...
