Forgetfulness is a matter of periodic review. Memorization through
repetition and forgetfulness follow a similar pattern. Each is gained
or lost by halves for the same time period. The following graph
illustrates the phenomenon.
The memory loss/recall increase with review phenomenon has been
verified many times.[3]
Generally memory is lost by one-half for each doubled time increment.
One day after first learning one-half is lost. By day two, one-half of
that remaining memory is lost, and by day four, one-half again is
lost. By day four, only one-sixteenth of the original memory is
intact.
At a similar rate, with review after one day only one-half of the
material that was reviewed will be lost. If reviewed again on day two,
the amount lost is again divided by two. If reviewed six times in a
thirty-two day period, the about retained will be more than
ninety-eight percent and the amount lost will only be about two
per-cent in the next thirty-two days versus fifty per-cent in one day.
* * * * *
Memorization
Three common ways of remembering are: repetition, association, and
exaggeration. [4] An similar skill is outlining, and samples of
various outlining styles can be found in Appendix 1.
Repetition is the key to long term memory. Physiologically, when brain
cells are activated by the memory process, the nerve cell coating,
known as the glial sheath, increases in thickness and becomes thicker
and thicker with each repetition, strengthening the electrical pathway
in brain that constitutes memory.
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