Gist
From MerrimackWiki
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Definition
The abstractive nature of remembering: we abstract out the basic sense of what we perceive (the gist of it) and forget the specific details. This is especially important in memorization. Another important aspect of the 'gist' is that when trying to recall certain sentences, etc.,while getting the 'gist' and not the minute details, we also tend to blend together small details and generalizations of what we are trying to recall.
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Significance
Sach's (1967) study, presenting subjects with sentences, then testing them immediately after the target sentence, after 80 syllables, or after 160 syllables, is evidence of this. It is significant because it shows that the human brain remembers certain things and not others.
