The Building Blocks of Human Memory
We begin this exploration by introducing several conceptual building blocks regarding the nature and dynamics of human memory. These building blocks become the first characters to be introduced into our description of the dance that occurs between human memory and the Internet.
Assimilation and Accommodation
Many years ago, Jean Piaget described the process of memory (and learning) as a balancing act involving two modes. There is first of all, Accommodation. New information comes in that is different from what we already know and is important for us to acquire. We “accommodate” to this information by taking it in and changing what is already in our memory.
Secondly, the opposite is also taking place (at the same time). We don’t just accommodate to new information, we also Assimilate this information—combining it (and transforming it) with what we already know and believe (our assumptions, recollections of past events, etc.) The new information gets “digested” (much as food gets digested in our stomach). What has come into our brain is no longer the same thing after it has been incorporated in our existing memory structures and patterns (our “schemas”) (Bartlett, 1995).
Procedural and Declarative Memory
There is a second building block that we wish to introduce as we consider how the Internet influences and can both help and hinder memory. Once again, we introduce a duality. Our working memory is comprised of two independent (though complementary) systems. There is one memory system in our brain that deals with the thoughts, feelings and behaviors in which we engage that are repeated many times in our lives.
These serve as a foundation for the habits that we form. As noted in a previous essay, the neurons that fire together, wire together. This is certainly the case regarding a clustering of neurons that our frequently wiring in a specific sequence and at a particular time. For instance, when we are driving a car and, in particular, when we are driving to work or to our favorite restaurant or movie theater, then our thoughts, feelings and behaviors are likely to be the same (or very similar) each time we engage in this journey.
