There are so many problems with this research that it is impossible to say with certainty that age-associated memory problems are centered in encoding, storage or retrieval. The Effort to Remember If memory were truly effortless, our brains would be crowded with every detail of every event we have ever experienced. Instead, the memory system is made for remembering and forgetting. We do not automatically retain our entire life story. When we want to remember something, we must apply effort.
Effort is viewed as taking appropriate steps toward remembering.
The type of effort needed and the difficulty in remembering depends on what we want to recall. The key is to apply the right amount of effort when it is needed. One response to our diminished ability is to exert additional effort for every memory task. A person could, for example, review everything 10 times, or become a compulsive note taker. If these methods work, they should be used.