ors
According to Warnock (1987) internal factors that contribute their role in affecting memory are age, aptitude, attitude, behavior, neurological factors cognitive style, hormonal imbalance of a person. According to Spada (1993) neurological factors such as tumors and abscesses in memory domain of the brain cause memory dysfunction and may cause permanent diminishing of memory.
External factors which affect memory are environmental factors, contexts of learning and teaching, input, interaction and. Physical and social activities also affect the memory.
I observe that when I pass an exam with a good grade, I become positively motivated. In the next exam of that particular subject I usually study with motivation and my memory recalling power increases considerably.
Emotions and Memory
Any event or occasion that involves extreme emotions on the person’s part is likely to become a permanent part of that person’s memory. According to Mark (2011), a trauma can cause a person considerable damage in his personality. This is because the trauma has imprinted itself into the memory of that person.
I passed my intermediate exams scoring above average marks. Though my expectations were high, I got even higher result which involved emotions of delight, pleasure and joy. Thus it is stored in my memory even when several years have passed after that day.
Age and Memory
Memory loss can occur with the aging process. Following are the reasons of decline in memory with age:
Human brain has a region that is responsible for the formation of memory and its retrieval. This region is called ‘hippocampus’. As the human body ages, so does the hippocampus region which suffers deterioration due to aging (Connor, 2001).
According to Smith (2012) with the aging process the growth factors of the human body also start to age. As the growth hormones age, the memory abilities of the person declines.
In old age, a decrease in the blood flow to the brain can stimulate changes in the cognitive skills. The change in cognitive skills can cause impairing of memory in old age.
The absorption of nutrients which cause brain enhancement decreases in efficiency with old age. Thus diminishing the memory abilities.
My father has reached to mid 60s and with his advancing age we have observed a significant loss in memory. Most of the times he tends to forget what he has done the day before.
Gender Differences in Learning and Memory
Four classes of tasks related to memory have been reported for which the genders show different learning and memory patterns. These classes are:
In daily life it is observed that female sex exhibit emotional behavior in higher proportions than the male sex. Male sex is inclined towards the logical thinking and tends to remain logical even in extreme duress. These differences exist due to the natural capabilities and tendencies of opposite sexes towards emotions and logical thinking.
During exams, I am anxious and tense while my brother remains calm and conscious. With his calm logic, he is able to cram and learn more than me.
Learning in pre-natal Stage
According to Montessori (1912) the children start their learning process, nine months before they come into this world. In the past the unborn child was considered a non-thinking, unfeeling entity that only started its emotional development once brought into the world. However Verney (1981) presented the theory that a fetus is a being that feels, remembers, and is aware of all its surrounding while it is still residing in the womb. The theory of Verney is also seconded by Gabriel (1992).
One of the first things that babies do after coming in this world is to cry. In accord of the theory of aware unborn child, we can presume that babies have the capability to learn while still inside their mother’s womb.
Impact of Anxiety on memory
According to Harms, (2012) anxiety and stress are known to be the most common memory depressants. If it persists, it is likely to cause hindrance in the brain normal functions. While in anxiety, the brain secrets a hormone known as adrenaline. Adrenaline compels the