When it comes to memory, things you hear are the first you forget

When it comes to memory, we don't remember things we hear nearly as well as things we see or touch, researchers at the University of Iowa reported Wednesday. When more than 100 undergraduate students at the university were exposed to a variety of sounds, visuals and things that could be felt, the students were least apt to remember the sounds they had heard, the researchers said. "As it turns out, there is merit to the Chinese proverb 'I hear, and I forget; I see, and I remember,'" graduate student James Bigelow, lead author of the study, said. Although memories of the students in the study declined across the board when time delays grew longer, the decline was much greater for sounds, and began as early as four to eight seconds after being exposed to them, the researchers said. "We tend to think that the parts of our brain wired for memory are integrated. But our findings indicate our brain may use separate pathways to process information," psychology Professor Amy Poremba said. "Even more, our study suggests the brain may process auditory information differently than visual and tactile information, and alternative strategies -- such as increased mental repetition -- may be needed when trying to improve memory." "As teachers, we want to assume students will remember everything we say," she said. "But if you really want something to be memorable you may need to include a visual or hands-on experience, in addition to auditory information."