What Is the Consolidation Theory in Learning?
The consolidation theory of learning and memory has become a highly technical field dealing with brain chemistry, memory fixing and the dynamics of mind. Its basic thesis, however, is much simpler. The human mind must deal with new learning over time, and information in quick succession is not only liable to be forgotten, but what is remembered can be distorted. Learning must be "built up" on the same basis---that is, information must be built from the same base in order to be recalled later.
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History
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The basic thesis, published in 1900 by E. Muller and A. Pilzecker, is that brain conditioning gets better over time. Conditioning is central here because consolidation theory is a form of behaviorism in which memories can be cued by other memories. Memories are linked. For example, information about John Adams can be easily remembered if one is considering Thomas Jefferson. Jefferson and Adams were ideological rivals, and therefore, one can more easily recall Adams' position by considering it in reference to Jefferson's. Considering one can recall the other with clarity, while trying to consider one in isolation might be more difficult.
Features
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The idea here is that people will "fix" certain conditioned memories better over time, even if new information is introduced in the interim. When Muller and Pilzecker tied nonsense syllables together and presented them to volunteers, the volunteers' errors in recalling them were highest immediately after hearing them. Only after about 10 minutes did the memories sink in, and errors were very few after a full night's sleep. These researchers even introduced new pairs in between, as a form of interference, but this did not change the memory of the first set of syllables.
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Effects
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More recent research has built on this initial insight. However, it has become clearer that new learning remains vulnerable to either forgetting or distortion far longer than a day, sometimes for years. Changes in what is remembered can occur long after the initial few days after studying a subject. New learning, in other words, interferes and distorts older learning. Even more problematic is that things learned in quick succession compete for brain space, leading to a greater risk of either forgetting or distortion. It is possible that the information might begin to merge, distorting all the information absorbed into the brain.
Significance
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Learning is clearly a complex and problematic process. Memories cannot be trusted, especially when one is cramming information, so common in college life. Cramming is a guarantee that the memory will fail, and what is remembered is distorted since the brain is forced to deal with a huge amount of information. It takes years for such information to be permanently "hardwired" to the brain.
Benefits
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It is equally clear that learning must build on itself. Information introduced at a later date must incorporate information from an earlier date. Information without connection is largely useless learning, since the information will be forgotten or distorted. The way to overcome the brain's ability to forget or distort what it has learned is to always keep the basic information in front of students, introducing new information only relative to the older information and building and consolidating it in the mind over time. Only here is recall, and a clear recall, made more likely.
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