As the car starts, you are suddenly seized with a doubt: have you closed the door of the house properly? Is your wallet in the bag you just put away? Why are some memories so fleeting and how do you avoid memory lapses?
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Memory lapses can happen to anyone. Who has never found themselves at the top of a stairs without remembering why he had gone upstairs or discovered his socks stored in the drawer when he was sure he had put them in the laundry basket? Those ” bugs » are linked to interference in procedural memory, the one that makes it possible to restore a task unconsciously when it has been repeated enough times. For example, we walk without thinking about how to take each step, and we can cycle without having to relearn each time.
Memory lapses and the “autopilot” mode of the brain
It is the same mechanism at work when we perform certain routine tasks (putting away the dishes, preparing breakfast, closing and opening the carries key…): the brain goes on “automatic pilot” and we act unconsciously. This mode of operation requiring a low cognitive effort, it frees the brain resources who can thus concentrate on other actions and carry out several tasks in parallel. We are thus able to talk while walking or watch television while eating.
Memory lapses: when the brain no longer follows
Unfortunately, the memory unconscious procedural has a downside, since it reduces the attention paid to what we are doing. This is how experienced drivers tend not to remain sufficiently focused on the road, which increases the risk of an accident. Similarly, when the brain is particularly solicited or when we are under particular stress, unconscious tasks lose quality. This is what happens when we talk to someone or are concerned about something when closing the house at key. To avoid this kind of inconvenience, avoid carrying out too many things at once : it is particularly inefficient because you will have to systematically recheck each gesture.
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