Memory

The concept of memory is a critical concept when dealing with group activities. Memory comes in two forms: Short-term, and Long-term. According to Harris, “short-term memory can last from “1 to 60 seconds” (Harris 134). Within this time limit, we decide whether a message is important or not. The book gives a good example of this when a group is meeting for the first time. When noise becomes so prevalent, the actual message that we need is missed and let go.
Long-term memory is where relevant information is stored for extended periods of time. I can remember a manager stating that we need to do one thing 24 times before it will go from our short-term memory to our long-term memory. I have yet to test this theory out.
I think the concept of memory is important because it gives us a way to understand the message. If we can learn to store information for longer periods of time, then we can be of greater benefit to our group members.

Henry