Psych Reaction Paper
Reaction Paper One
Physical Activity Relating to Memory
Katie M. Lefeld
Ball State University
PSYSC 100:04
Hypothesis: Physical activity increases your memory.
My Initial Hypothesis
When I think of the human body, the first and most important organ that comes to my mind is the brain. Without this complex organ we, as humans would be incapable of performing small tasks like lifting up our hands or blinking. Our brain controls the smallest duties of our everyday life, including our memory, which is so crucial to have in our world today. Our memory is made up of two types; the short term also known as episodic and long term or the working memory (Labounty, 2007). My thought on physical activity is that it affects both the short and long term memories. I believe that by being more active and physically fit our brain has an easier time working, allowing us to have a better memory than if we were to be less active.
The Empirical Evidence
There are many effects to maintaining a healthy physical life, starting with your emotional feeling. By staying active and creating a fit lifestyle you will become obviously more physically fit and your emotions will more than likely stay positive. Activity scales had significant correlations with cognition (Jobb, 2007). It too it prevalent that physical activity can help to prevent chronic diseases and death at an early age (Szabo, 2007). As people are living longer and longer in the 21st century we may wonder why, not only has health care increased but people are now being pushed more and more to become physically active. Typically in humans, the more physical activity your body goes through the stronger mentally and physically you are. One study is done to determine the extent to which cardio fitness is associated with memory problems and the effects it has on the hippocampus (Szabo, 2007). The hippocampus is a part of
the limbic system; and it’s in charge of storing long-term memories
Physical Activity Relating to Memory
Katie M. Lefeld
Ball State University
PSYSC 100:04
Hypothesis: Physical activity increases your memory.
My Initial Hypothesis
When I think of the human body, the first and most important organ that comes to my mind is the brain. Without this complex organ we, as humans would be incapable of performing small tasks like lifting up our hands or blinking. Our brain controls the smallest duties of our everyday life, including our memory, which is so crucial to have in our world today. Our memory is made up of two types; the short term also known as episodic and long term or the working memory (Labounty, 2007). My thought on physical activity is that it affects both the short and long term memories. I believe that by being more active and physically fit our brain has an easier time working, allowing us to have a better memory than if we were to be less active.
The Empirical Evidence
There are many effects to maintaining a healthy physical life, starting with your emotional feeling. By staying active and creating a fit lifestyle you will become obviously more physically fit and your emotions will more than likely stay positive. Activity scales had significant correlations with cognition (Jobb, 2007). It too it prevalent that physical activity can help to prevent chronic diseases and death at an early age (Szabo, 2007). As people are living longer and longer in the 21st century we may wonder why, not only has health care increased but people are now being pushed more and more to become physically active. Typically in humans, the more physical activity your body goes through the stronger mentally and physically you are. One study is done to determine the extent to which cardio fitness is associated with memory problems and the effects it has on the hippocampus (Szabo, 2007). The hippocampus is a part of
the limbic system; and it’s in charge of storing long-term memories
References: Jopp, D., & Hertzog, C. (2007). Activities, self-referent memory beliefs, and cognitive performance: Evidence for direct and mediated relations. Psychology And Aging. Labounty, L. (2007, September 4). Effects of Exercise on Short-Term Memory. Retrieved from: http://clearinghouse.missouriwestern.edu/manuscripts/854.php Szabo, A. N., McAuley, E., Erickson, K. I., Voss, M., Prakash, R. S., Mailey, E. L., & ... Kramer, A. F. (2011). Cardiorespiratory fitness, hippocampal volume, and frequency of forgetting in older adults. Neuropsychology. Truelove, R. S. (2012, February). Biology and Behavior. Lecture presented at Ball State University Muncie, IN. Van der Borght, K., Havekes, R., Bos, T., Eggen, B. L., & Van der Zee, E. A. (2007). Exercise improves memory acquisition and retrieval in the Y-maze task: Relationship with hippocampal neurogenesis. Behavioral Neuroscience.