How is human memory similar to the computer memory? How is it different?
VOCATIONAL
TRAINING
DEVELOPMENT
INSTITUTE
Bachelor
of Science in Information Technology
Course Title: Fundamentals
of Psychology
Course Code: ED111
Module
No: 2
Assignment Title: How is
human memory similar to the computer memory?
How is it different?
Due Date: July 14, 2018
Lecturer’s Name: Dr. Sandra
Hamilton
Student’s
Names: Antoinette Roberts-Graham
ID.No:1700236004
Brandon
Dyce
IDNo:1500142786
Sandra
Spaulding
IDNo:
1300092423
Year
Group: 1
Date submitted: July 14,
2018
Definition: Memory is our ability to receive and translate information, store
or retain that information and then bring back that information and other past
experiences in the human brain. You may also think in a more general term that
it is the use of one’s past experiences to affect or influence one’s current
behavior. Memory is also the total of what individuals remember and thus gives
us the capability to learn and to also adapt from our previous experiences as
well as to help build relationships. It has the powerful capability to recall
to our mind past experiences, previously learned facts, skills and habits.
In
a more physiological or neurological term, memory is, a set of
encoded neural connections in our brain. With the synchronous firing of neurons
that had been involved in our original experience, we can reconstruct or
recreate past experiences. However, our memories are not stored in our brains
like books stored on a library shelf, they are more all over and so in the
recalling of any memory it comes together based on an on-the-fly
reconstruction. In the human memory we have the sensory memory, the short-term
memory and the long-term memory.
Definition: A Computer memory is any physical device that
can store information temporarily or permanently. You have Random Access Memory
(RAM),
which is a volatile memory that stores information on an integrated
circuit used by the operating system,
software,
and hardware.
You also have hard drive which stores long term information that will be needed
after the power to the computer has been turned off.
Similarities of Human Memory
& The Computer
RAM vs Memory
One
would wonder if the human brain is what was used to inspire to create the
computer memory as the similarities between both are closer than an average
person would think.
called hippocampus.
The hippocampus that controls the short-term
memory is where our immediate actions are remembered. Just like the computer
memory that has a limit so does the human memory as we may remember up to
certain time-period of our lives although for some persons their memory range
enables them to have their childhood memories.
As
the computer memory has arrays, the brain has a similar structure to allow the
brain to recognize the memory, recall memory, and relearn the memory if needs
be.
Based on studies done the brain transfers
some if not all memories to another section of the brain to turn them to long term
memories and that is done while you sleep.
Hard Drive vs Memory
Another similarity is that just as the
computer uses the hard drive to store programs that will be used daily for as
long as the user sees fit, so the brain stores information and experiences in
the cortex to retrieve whenever needed.
Now, in this section of the brain called
Cortex, it stores memories for extended time-period (1mnth - 20+ years)
otherwise called Long-Term Memory. These memories are safely tucked away by the
brain for future recall, this
process of the recall is done by the hippocampus.
Data Base vs Memory
In
drawing parallels between our human brain and a computer database you come up
with a variety of other similarities. Both the brain and the data base have
memory, they both use electrical signals and they can retrieve and transmit
data both. The data base and the memory have partitions, and both connect data
to reach to conclusions which are logical and working, for example retrieving a
list of duties a human need to do and retrieving a list of workers in a data
base. Being able to analyze and link scattered and proportionate data,
computers, consequently, have the capabilities to create logical structures, allowing
them to understand and learn.
Dissimilarities of The Computer
& The Human Memory
Dissimilarity #1: Short
Term Memory is not Like the Computer Random Access Memory (RAM)
According to author
Chris Chatham from science blogs online forum, he describes short term memory
as being a ‘pointer’ or storage location for other long term memory that
already exist, whereas with the computer, RAM is a similarity of the data that
is stored on the computer’s hard drive, except the data goes once power is
removed from the computer. Additionally, he iterates that unlike RAM, short
term memory does not have a fixed size, but rather varies according to factors
that are not limited to but include: expertise and familiarity.
Dissimilarity #2: Unlike
computers, processing and memory are handled by the same components of the
human brain
Chatam states in his
article that the computer processes its task from memory using the central
processing unit (CPU) and then sends that information back to memory either for
storage or to be outputted whereas in the human brain, the information that is
being processed or retrieved from memory is also being modified in the same
occurrence. This is why, for instance we may recall a memory from the past
based on a trigger or cue, but less accurately than it initially occurred.
Dissimilarity #3: CPU
Cache and neuronal network attractors
The computers CPU is
essentially a device that combines bits of information and operates at very
high frequencies, in the GHz range. Since the CPU processing speed was so fast,
cache was developed to assist in storing these extra bits of data until the cpu
was available for processing again. Unlike the CPU our memory operates at
around 10-40 Hz, which is far less than the CPU.
References
What Is Memory?
Retrieved from
Memory retrieved from
Humans vs
Computers: Similarities retrieved from
Computer vs human memory retrieved from
Difference between human brain and computers. Retrieved
from
Great job!!!! I like that you cited your sources and that you rephrased the articles. 100%
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