Does Gender Affect Short-term Memory?

You will find many women complaining that their husbands or boyfriends tend to forget their birthdays and anniversaries, whereas men quetch that their female counterparts cannot find a simple address. The scientific reason behind this 'tragedy' is the factor called 'short-term memory'.

What is Short-term Memory?
Generally, many of us remember some childhood memories till date. There are many such incidents that we recollect throughout our lives, without explicitly memorizing them. This phenomenon of storing vast amount of information in the brain for a long period of time is called long-term memory. Short-term memory is defined as "the capacity to retain a very small amount of information for a limited time period without memorizing it". This information is gradually forgotten within a few seconds. Also known as primary memory, it is the active or working memory and is responsible for the actions we perform recently. Regular brain exercises helps to improve both, long-term as well as short-term memory.

Gender and its Effects on Short-term Memory
Numerous experiments have been performed on the basis of various theories to determine which gender has 'better short-term memory' i.e. which gender has a better capacity to retain recent events; and based on the outcomes, many conclusions are being contemplated. There are results that prove that men have better short-term memory since they can remember logical maneuvers like directions, electronic circuitry, etc. very well. Some also say that multitasking, i.e. performing many tasks simultaneously, requires excellent primary memory. Experiments performed on the 'multitasking-basis' have shown women to be far better than men; while some experts even believe that primary memory is not gender-biased and entirely depends on the liking of a person. The information retained by a person depends a lot on his/her interest in the topic. Since guys have a ceaseless love for bikes and traveling, they can memorize the roads effortlessly. And, as women are more involved in family bonding since ages, they can remember lengthy recipes, birthdays, etc. very easily. Of course, all these theories are mere assumptions and do not have any consistent proof.

What is Short-term Memory Loss?
When a person is unable to retain recent incidents, then it is said to be a short-term memory. It can hamper your immediate course of action. Many of us face the problem of forgetfulness in our day-to-day life. This does not imply that we are having short-term memory loss. When the degree of forgetfulness becomes acute i.e. if a person is unable to recall any recent events very frequently, he/she maybe suffering from memory loss whether short-term or long-term.

Short-term Memory Loss and Gender Roles
The short-term memory loss causes are highly varied in nature. Normally, memory loss is experienced after a certain age like forty or fifty. This happens because as we grow older, the body functioning slows down and subsequently the production of the hormones required for efficient memory operation, is reduced. In the human nervous system, the memory-related events occur in an area of the brain called hippocampus. Each time some new information enters the brain, neuron cells called dentate gyrus are produced in the hippocampus area. The argued theory about primary memory loss is that, in order to create space, the newly produced dentate gyrus cells eliminate the old ones, thus deleting the 'recently-old' memories from the brain. The probability of such a thing happening in men as well as women is equal. Hence, the chances of short-term memory loss are said to be the same in both genders.

Men and women have always tried to prove their superiority in the 'brain-related-field' and the argument still continues. This gender-superiority cold war has been going on for a long time and may continue till eternity. Hence, this question can be expected to possibly remain unanswered forever.