Analysis of memory in learning is often framed in terms of probabilities, e.g. the chance you'll recall something on a test, which might decline over time.
This does describe the data, but it's funny how alien this is to how memory feels. It does not *feel* like a binomial draw!
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I often feel like I can "almost" remember something (but then can't), or like I "easily" remember something. Experimentally, these judgments do map to recall probabilities, but is it actually a stochastic process?
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I tend to identify more with models of forgetting which aren't truly stochastic, but which can be *described by* probabilities at a macro scale.
For instance, encoding variability theory suggests that recall depends on overlap between mental state at encoding and recall.
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Because mental states will naturally vary as you move about and think different thoughts, this naturally gives rise to a memory behavior you can describe with probabilities, but it's not like your brain is rolling dice. The "randomness" comes from behavior & the environment.
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(Encoding variability theory is also a nice potential mechanistic explanation for the spacing effect: when cramming you re-encode an item several times with the ~same mental state; when spacing, you encode it against different mental states, thus more chance for future overlap)
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I guess this is not unique to models of memory. For instance, language models often work by estimating the probability that the next word is "banana" or whatever. It's not like prose is stochastic, but probability is a useful way to capture co-occurrence.
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Maybe if we reframe the probabilities as strength x number of connections to adjacent and available cues?
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If something is "on the tip of my tongue" and I don't give up I usually make the connection eventually. Terribly frustrating.
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I usually start thinking of related items, names, subjects, places I might associate with the thing...
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I’m fascinated too that we can immediately know that we don’t know something, without searching first.
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I find the feeling of "almost" remember so interesting. All I have is a feeling closeness/circling ("it's getting hotter/colder!") but no sense of space or control. There's nothing to *do* but sit with it and wait. Wish I could open the debugger and *see* the process!
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This is is a great observation. It feels like it’s an effortful action, there’s some level of goal achievement to it too.
I also feel as though there are certain odds to how likely it is to be the first that comes to mind… but that may also prioritize low effort paths!
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Replying to @JoelChan86 @hardy_lisa_a and @andy_matuschak
For many people, yes, but I think insight often comes in flashes of pieces of knowledge coming together and that happens in your head. During my tour with Martin, he kept saying "I just want this to come to mind." Memory likely works well with synthesis.
youtube.com/watch?v=vlm3_5
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