Processing Speed vs. Memory: Understanding the Difference

I used to think "slow thinking" meant "bad memory." Like, if someone was slow to understand something, they must have a bad memory, right?

Wrong. I was wrong. And it took me way too long to figure that out.

Then I learned about processing speed, and everything clicked. Processing speed and memory are related, but they're totally different things. And understanding the difference? It matters. A lot. Especially if you want to train effectively.

Let me explain what I learned (the hard way).

What Is Processing Speed?

Processing speed is how quickly you can take in information, understand it, and respond to it. It's the speed of your mental processing.

Think of it like your computer's processor speed. A faster processor can handle more information more quickly. A slower processor takes longer.

What Is Memory?

Memory is your ability to store and retrieve information. It's your brain's storage system.

Think of it like your computer's hard drive. A bigger hard drive can store more. A smaller one stores less.

The Key Difference

Here's the key difference: processing speed is about speed. Memory is about capacity.

You can have fast processing speed but poor memory. You can have good memory but slow processing speed. They're independent skills.

Real-World Examples

Fast Processing, Poor Memory: - You understand things quickly - You respond quickly - But you forget things easily - You can't hold much information in your head

Slow Processing, Good Memory: - You take longer to understand things - You respond more slowly - But you remember things well - You can hold a lot of information

Both Fast: - You understand quickly - You respond quickly - You remember well - You can hold a lot of information - This is the ideal, but rare

Both Slow: - You understand slowly - You respond slowly - You forget easily - You can't hold much information - This is challenging, but trainable

How to Train Processing Speed

Processing speed games focus on how quickly you can respond:

• Reaction Time: How fast you react to stimuli
• Speed Math: How quickly you can calculate
• Check Boxes: How fast you can process and respond
• One to Fifty: How quickly you can scan and find numbers

The key is pushing yourself to go faster. Don't just play—try to beat your best time.

How to Train Memory

Memory games focus on how much you can remember:

• Sequence Memory: How long a sequence you can remember
• Number Memory: How many digits you can recall
• Visual Memory: How many visual patterns you can remember
• Word Memory: How many words you can recognize
• Chimp Test: How many numbers and positions you can recall

The key is pushing yourself to remember more. Don't just play—try to remember longer sequences.

The Connection

Here's where it gets interesting: processing speed and memory are connected, but not in the way you might think.

Faster processing can help with memory. If you process information quickly, you have more "room" in your working memory for new information.

But faster processing doesn't guarantee better memory. You can process quickly but still forget things.

Training Both

The best approach is to train both. Don't just focus on one. Train processing speed and memory separately, but regularly.

I have a rotation: - Monday/Wednesday/Friday: Memory games - Tuesday/Thursday: Processing speed games - Weekend: Mix of both

This ensures I'm training both skills.

Real-World Implications

Understanding the difference helps in daily life:

If you have slow processing speed: - Give yourself more time - Don't rush - Break complex tasks into smaller steps - Practice speed games

If you have poor memory: - Write things down - Use memory techniques - Practice memory games - Repeat information to yourself

If you have both: - Be patient with yourself - Use tools and techniques - Train both skills - Don't compare yourself to others

My Experience

I used to think I had a bad memory. But really, I had slow processing speed. I was taking in information slowly, so I wasn't getting it into memory effectively.

Once I started training processing speed, my memory seemed to improve. Not because my memory got better, but because I was processing information fast enough to actually store it.

The Bottom Line

Processing speed and memory are different skills. Understanding the difference helps you train more effectively.

Train both. Don't just focus on one. And be patient—both skills improve with practice, but they improve independently.

And remember: everyone's different. Some people are naturally fast processors. Some have naturally good memory. Most of us are somewhere in between. But we can all improve with training.