4 - Committing Experiences to Memory
from Part II
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 26 September 2019
Summary
We have seen in the previous chapters that frequency of occurrence plays an important role in many contemporary approaches to language. Frequency of occurrence is, in essence, the repetition of an experience; and hearing or reading language is an experience too. Human beings are sensitive to the frequency with which they experience something and repeated experiences are laid down in memory with a strength that relates to the extent of the exposure. Surprisingly, knowledge about memory formation and consolidation has barely influenced linguistic theories. But if we consider exposure to language as a linguistic experience, our knowledge of language could, and should, be described as a complex system of memories.
How does frequency help commit experiences to memory? In this chapter we will take a closer look at memory and explore the brain mechanisms that respond to the repetition of experiences.
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- Frequency in LanguageMemory, Attention and Learning, pp. 99 - 130Publisher: Cambridge University PressPrint publication year: 2019