Researchers from Merrimack College have discovered a new aspect of human memory. According to a study published in Frontiers in Behavioral Neuroscience, intentionally memorizing information is much more effective than remembering through emotional impact.
During the study, participants were shown words with different meanings. They were asked to remember some words and forget others. After that, participants tried to recall as many words as possible.
The results showed that words people tried to remember intentionally were retained better, even if they did not evoke strong emotions.
“We found that a person’s decision to ‘remember’ or ‘forget’ has a greater impact than the emotional content of the information. In fact, we have more control over our memory than we think,” said the study’s lead author, Dr. Kurdzel.
According to experts, the basis of effective memory is conscious attention and internal motivation, while emotions play a secondary role.
Dr. Kurdzel noted that the instruction “remember this” helps the brain identify the importance of information and activates mechanisms that “label” it for long-term storage.
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