W.E.A.

Shannon News, 11 June 1926, Page 2

W.E.A.

"REMEMBERING AJNL» FORGETTING." The usual weekly meeting of the Levin branch of the W.E.A. was held in the Y.M.C.A. rooms lasts evening at 7.30, Mr R. McAllister presiding.

The lecturer slated that it was no wonder that many men and women are somewhat easily persuaded to take up a course in "Memory Training," as eo much depends on the [possession of a reliable memory. The scientific approach, to this very practical matter has through a careful study of the way in which memory works, how we "learn"'and how we remember what we have learned. The main subject may be divkled into [our minor ones—these may, be .stated as follows:

(1) Memorising or learning. (2) Retention. (3) Recall.

(4) Recognition;

Sometimes the word "memory" is used as synonymous with "retentive-ne-ss" in general. This is not cowect. Memory is the knowledge of a. former state of'mind after it has already once dropped from consciousness, the knowledge 'of an event or fact of which we have not been thinking, with the additional consciousness that we have thought or experienced it before. "Personal memory" is the remembrance of the actual -events in order of time, but "impersonal mem"ory" is the knowledge acquired by these 'experiences.- • A boy learning Euclid, gets the proposition off by heart, later'he remembers the main truth enunciated and the proof without having, to resort to the "finder" in the text-book. '

We, acquire the knowledge of ,an objeofby means of the senses. As an 1 instance we "learn to recognise an orange. We see the colour, we gain knowledge of its other characteristics through taste and smell. All these separate characteristics are fused together an,to .tine one object—orange. In dealing with memory we pass over from -a-study oif native traits to a consideration of acquired. Nevertheless we cannot and do jnot dispense with native. All our knowledge, our whole stock of'ideas, all > our motor skill, we, acquire likes and dislikes, we are each possessed of tens of thousands of reactions—all really developed out of . our native reactions! . Experiments nave been made with the lower animals in order to ascertain what is possible regarding learning. It is obvious that man; learns much more rapidly and. surely than the other animals. These learn only by "doing," .man learns by doing plus observation. The net .result of these experiments is that four factors of advantage come to light; the factor of interest, the factor of recency, the factor of meaning, the factor of permanency. • • '

i The marks of a good memory areata),. The rapidity with, which the pow : er .of/recalling' an experience is acquired; (to)?The length of tim* during, which the power of "remembering lasts without being refreshed; (c) The rapidity and accuracy of revival; (d) j serviceableness or Ihe readiness with \\"Uich we recall what is relevant. 2.^—Retention. How do we retain or carry round with us what we have learned. The lecturer strongly supported the view that, retention is habit. The retention of an experience is only another way of stating that we possess the power or tendency to re*call it again. The brain paths are stimulated and the (response comes to hand promply or slowly. Tha con- ! sensus of opinion is that retentiveuess is native and therefore unchangeable. | AH improvement in memory lies in i the line of elaborating the association of each thing to be remembered. No amount of culture would seem to be capable of modifying a man's general retentivenass. This quality difj fers naturally in health and disease. I When one -is fagged or fresh, etc. Memory courses certainly do* give the 'pupil an incentive to study better and better remembering is the resultant of better thinking. This leads to the well-worn question: "Is anything once learned every really lost? Those who say no, are apt to quote childhood experiences, or the results of hypnotism, or of fever. We certainly do not and it is a good thing. ■What we remember as well as what we forget is seriously affected hy the quality of the material with which we are working. It is said that quick learning means quick forgetting—this is not necessarily true. The football enthusiast can easily memorise "All Black" matches and scores, he may find it a much more difficult matter to learn and retain trigonometrical formulae. As a maitar otf fact, in, the. practical use of one's intellect, forgetting is as impcitant as remembering.

3.—Recall. . Having committed something to memory how do we get it •back when we want it? Given the correct stimulus the first part is recalled, this give's the cue to the next and so on till the recall is complete. Recall is therefore a learned response to a stimulus. There are certain difficulties. Many of these are. emotional, fear, self-consciousness and distraction. This latter is very strong —sometimes a stimulus evokes two or more responses at the same time and one is apt to trip the other up and so confusion results. Certain helps in recall are worth remembering: Give the stimulus a good chance. Look squarely at the person whose name has escaped you and avoid doubt as to your ability. Recall it. If this fails, drop the matter for a time and return to it later. Interference takes place and until this dies out at is hard to proceed. Instance an examination question—what at first seems

impossible, if left until later may be quite well answered. 4.—Recognition. Mow do we recognise a fact that is,recalled as being the one we are after? Recognition of objects seen, heard, touched, etc., is one of the most rudimentary forms of memory. The baby shows signs of recognising persons long/before he shows signs of recall. Later he understands words before he can say them. Recognition is a form of learned response depending on previous reaction to the object recognised. To recognise an object is to respond to it as we responded before except for the feeling of familiarity which obviously could not be present the first time. Mr McArthur dealt with the matter

of memory training. The whole question, so he stated, really breaks „

up into, minor ones.' Can memorising, retention, recall, recognition, be improved. Generally speaking, only by, improvement in the methods adopted in committing to memory, can improvement be gained. By associating more and more analogous things with the thing to be remembered we make it easier to recall. We must take the trouble to learn the matter thoroughly otherwise we are making it easy to lose it altogether just when we want it. •

Certain questions entrusted to students were the means of introducing a very interesting discussion.