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Can short term memory and attention processing speed be inproved?


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Are there computer games or games for the ipad that improves short term memory? Or are these gimmicks by game makers to make money.

 

What I mean by term memory? Is when you work at call center and some one calls in telling you names and phone numbers and you not alway just one minute, allow me to wtite it down or saying can you repeat or low down. You can just take in that information or write it down later.

 

Or is short term memory and attention processing speed cannot be inproved it base on genetics or how your brain was born?

 

Some people can take in lot of information and other people have to write every thing down and the information has to come in slower becuse the attention processing speed is not there to take in lot of information coming in fast.

 

And the games and brain puzzles are mostly gimmicks made to make money and there is no science prove they help?

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nec209,

 

What were we talking about?

 

Regards, TAR

 

 

I think you are confusing my thread to someone else.

 

I was asking here if there is any science that short term memory and attention processing speed can be improved by playing game, iPad apps that claim to boost short term memory and attention processing speed and other games and puzzles.

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nec209,

I was trying to be funny. I am 62 and meet new people all the time (people I have already met but forgotten). The joke was that my short term memory was so bad I already had forgotten we were talking about short term memory.

 

But to answer your question, I would say that repetition and association are two ways to improve one's short term memory. The proper online game might give one "hooks" upon which one can hang a memory.

 

Long ago a Dale Carnegie course, taught that one should associate. Like if you met somebody named Lucy, you should imagine her face and her holding the football for you to kick, like Charlie Brown, and then her pulling it away. Then the next time you saw her face, you would think Lucy.

 

I do not know what memory tricks are built into various online games, but I would say that going over something in your mind, with or without tricks, will make you more likely to remember.

 

Regards, TAR

Edited by tar
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nec209,

I was trying to be funny. I am 62 and meet new people all the time (people I have already met but forgotten). The joke was that my short term memory was so bad I already had forgotten we were talking about short term memory.

 

But to answer your question, I would say that repetition and association are two ways to improve one's short term memory. The proper online game might give one "hooks" upon which one can hang a memory.

 

Long ago a Dale Carnegie course, taught that one should associate. Like if you met somebody named Lucy, you should imagine her face and her holding the football for you to kick, like Charlie Brown, and then her pulling it away. Then the next time you saw her face, you would think Lucy.

 

I do not know what memory tricks are built into various online games, but I would say that going over something in your mind, with or without tricks, will make you more likely to remember.

 

Regards, TAR

 

 

I think you are confusing people that don't have good short term memory and I need tips and ideas to help my short term memory for the test or what I'm studying in school.

 

What I mean is web sites, work books, games , apps, games for the iPad and puzzles that claim to boost short term memory and attention processing speed so on. Are they gimmicks or not.

 

It was my understanding short term memory and attention processing speed was mostly base on genetics and how your brain was born and thus you could not improved it.

 

I have not tried any games for iPad or puzzles so don't know if they work or not .

 

I hear there are some tips and tricks to help but they will not boost your short term memory and attention processing speed.

 

I have known some gifted people that can remember 15 to 20 numbers or names in order you give it out!! By stopping random person on the street and telling them numbers or names now repeat what I said. These are gifted people.

 

As most people when get over 5 things the brain has hard time to remembering. This why in are call center we are ordered to write every thing down.

 

 

But their is lot of work books,web sites, games,games for iPad or puzzles that claim to boost short term memory and attention processing speed. I'm not sure if there is any real science to back it up that they work.

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nec209,

 

Sorry to mislead you.

 

Also sorry I can't answer your question about the efficacy of the online memory aids.

 

One ​thought though...I think repetition, going over the list in your mind, helps to remember it. So any aid that looks like it is structured to give one a well traveled path to go over and recognize, is probably going to work.

 

Regards, TAR

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nec209,

 

Sorry to mislead you.

 

Also sorry I can't answer your question about the efficacy of the online memory aids.

 

One ​thought though...I think repetition, going over the list in your mind, helps to remember it. So any aid that looks like it is structured to give one a well traveled path to go over and recognize, is probably going to work.

 

Regards, TAR

 

 

You are confusing how to member some thing than to improved short term memory. The idea and theory is the brain is like body muscle that by doing brain exercises be it game, workbook, puzzles, apps for iPad , computer games and things like spatial recognition and pattern recognition, short term memory, attention processing speed so on can be improved.

 

But I don't think there is any science to back it that up that is claiming the brain is not some think like a body muscle that the brain exercises don't work that genetics, IQ and how brain was born play part and for most part cannot be improved. That brain does not work like body muscle and areas of brain cannot be improved.

 

Some one who has really bad spatial recognition would be really terrible at looking at some thing and remembering how it looked or how to draw it. If they got robbed or attacked they would have very hard time pointing out the bad guy to the police.

 

Some one with really bad at say short term memory you may have to go over some thing 10 to 15 times for it to go into the long term memory.

 

Some of these computer games, workbooks, puzzles and apps for iPad work on brain exercises not repetition and association. The idea is to challenge the brain that if you train your brain to write every thing down and always looking things up than you will not exercise the area of the brain to improve it .

 

Some other people say brain exercises don't work that things like spatial recognition and pattern recognition, short term memory, attention processing speed is looked by genetics, IQ and how brain was born.

Edited by nec209
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The brain is plastic; use it or lose it. Repetition. and practice in general, causes new pathways to be formed so eventually things can be done more or less without thinking. This is what learning is; creating new pathways.

Edited by StringJunky
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No matter had poorly you perform at any skill. if you practise it diligently in small increments, and demand perfection at each increment, you will gradually improve that skill.

 

People typically fail to achieve this principally through two means:

 

1) They expect to achieve great advances with little work.

2) They prepare for failure with lame excuses, and then gladly accept the fulfilment of their expectation.

 

Success requires a determination to succeed and a willingness to devote whatever time it takes to achieve that goal. Often that time can be measured in years.

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The brain is plastic; use it or lose it. Repetition. and practice in general, causes new pathways to be formed so eventually things can be done more or less without thinking. This is what learning is; creating new pathways.

 

 

No matter had poorly you perform at any skill. if you practise it diligently in small increments, and demand perfection at each increment, you will gradually improve that skill.

 

People typically fail to achieve this principally through two means:

 

1) They expect to achieve great advances with little work.

2) They prepare for failure with lame excuses, and then gladly accept the fulfilment of their expectation.

 

Success requires a determination to succeed and a willingness to devote whatever time it takes to achieve that goal. Often that time can be measured in years.

 

You mean some thing like these?

 

Games you can get for the computer.

 

http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2010/01/20/article-1244597-07EE5DC6000005DC-148_233x436.jpg

 

Or game like this you can get for the computer?

 

http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2010/01/20/article-1244597-07EE5D0A000005DC-456_468x410.jpg

 

The computer will auto generate random order of words or numbers and you look at it and try to remember it. As you move up the levels the computer will make it harder.

 

Other way is for the computer to auto generate random flash cards!! You look at it and and try to remember it. When you start of you may only remember 3 and when you get really good at it you may member 8 to 10.

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It really depends on what you want to remember.

 

If you want to improve your memory of names and faces, you practise strategies for learning how to associate names and faces - there are books on this sort of thing.

 

If you want to learn how to commit long poems to memory, you start by memorising short poems, repeating them daily until they stick. Then gradually work up to longer poems.

 

There are three golden rules to this sort of activity.

 

1) Don't waste time practising something that is of no direct use to you. Practise only what you want to be able to do.

2) Practising stuff you can do perfectly and practising stuff that is way in advance of your abilities are both a waste of time.

3) You have not completed mastery of a particular level until you can execute it perfectly.

 

I suspect that practising remembering playing cards will only help you learn how to remember playing cards. If that's what you want to do, then joining a bridge club or a poker school may be more fun. I can remember card for card some bridge hands I played 30-odd years ago. Ask me my own telephone number and I've to look it up.

Edited by sethoflagos
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  • 1 month later...

I have actually read a few studies that stated that short term memory can be improved. In a study people were read random sequences of numbers in no particular order and asked to restate what they had heard. After 6 weeks short term memory function was improved drastically. They also stated that over the 6 week period there was ​some indication that short term cognitive recollection improvement posed equally beneficial to long term memory retention

 

I will look for the article if you would be interested in reading it... As far as games go aren't there websites claiming to improve brain function? like Lumosity or whatever its called?

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