7.7: Storage

A schema is a mental framework that helps individuals organize and interpret information. Schemata, formed from previous experiences, influence how we process new information: how we encode it, the inferences we make, and how we retrieve it. For instance, a schema for what a typical classroom looks like might include desks, a teacher's desk, a whiteboard, and students in such an environment. This expectation helps us quickly understand and navigate new classrooms without needing to analyze each component in detail.

Schema theory posits that our long-term memory is not an exact record. Often, we cannot retrieve an exact memory but must reconstruct it from fragments. Schemata assist in this reconstruction, filling gaps based on our prior knowledge and experiences. For example, if you recall a family gathering, you might not remember every detail. Still, your schema for such events helps fill in missing parts, like assuming there was food or that certain family members were present.

Connectionism, also known as parallel distributed processing, suggests that memory is stored in the brain through connections among neurons, many of which work together to process a single memory. Unlike the idea of memories being stored in specific locations, the connectionist view sees memories as patterns of neural activity spread across different areas of the brain. For example, remembering your dog's name involves neural activity across several parts of the cerebral cortex. These neural locations, called nodes, are interconnected. When one node is sufficiently activated, it can influence another node, spreading the activation across the network.

The human cerebral cortex contains millions of neurons interconnected by hundreds of millions of synapses. This complex web of connections allows the activity of one neuron to be influenced by many others. Connectionism argues that changes in the strength of these synaptic connections are the fundamental basis of memory. The process by which these networks are strengthened and formed is known as consolidation.