If you know me, even remotely, you know I have a superpower: my phenomenal tendency to lose and forget things. I would have misplaced everything I ever owned and bought for college if it were not for my amazing friends. And as you might guess, this superpower costs me a lot. From losing my board exam hall ticket to going blank while giving speeches, I've done it all, and hated myself for it. If you're like me, then no doubt you have lost something important, got frustrated, and got into an existential crisis wondering what exactly is wrong with you.
Here is a list of possible reasons why we forget:
You are distracted: This is one of the most apparent reasons that came to mind when I started to wonder why I kept forgetting things. There are various research articles discussing how distractions tamper with our attention while focusing on tasks that involve learning and recall. Selective attention ensures that we have a limited pool for focusing on stimuli and we cannot concentrate on two things at once. Keeping this in mind, it becomes pretty obvious why getting distracted might tamper with our attention and consequently lead us to forget important things.
Your short-term memories fade, literally: Trace Decay is a theory that talks about how the neurochemical "memory trace" is created when new information that is encountered fades with the passage of time. This eventually leads to forgetting.
You're unable to access your long-term memory: When a new memory is stored, certain cues called retrieval cues are stored along with it. When the context and state during retrieval are different it leads to forgetting.
All these reasons are a few explanations for why we forget things. The nature of memory and forgetting is a complex neurological mechanism with many areas of unexplored waters.
The task of overcoming the limitations of forgetfulness might seem daunting but with a few tips and tricks, this shortcoming can be managed. Let me know in the comments below if you would like a new blog post on the ways to manage forgetfulness.
References:
1. Ricker, T. J., Vergauwe, E., & Cowan, N. (2016). Decay theory of immediate memory: From Brown (1958) to today (2014). Quarterly journal of experimental psychology (2006), 69(10), 1969–1995. https://doi.org/10.1080/17470218.2014.914546
2. Miller, R. R., & Matzel, L. D. (2006). Retrieval failure versus memory loss in experimental amnesia: definitions and processes. Learning & memory (Cold Spring Harbor, N.Y.), 13(5), 491–497. https://doi.org/10.1101/lm.241006
3. Craik F. I. (2014). Effects of distraction on memory and cognition: a commentary. Frontiers in psychology, 5, 841. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2014.00841
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