Associations

Most people have heard of Pavlov's dog. Pavlov would ring a bell every time he fed his dog. Eventually, the dog would start salivating after hearing the bell, even if no food was in sight. This experiment shows how the dog's mind made an association between hearing and taste. This happens in humans too. The brain automatically makes associations between the five senses, in addition to emotional or social triggers. Once these associations are created, they can be recalled simply by experiencing one of the original inputs. In the dog's case, a sound triggers a memory about taste. Certainly you have had the experience where a smell, a flavor, or a sound has brought up a memory from your childhood.

In order for us to remember a new fact, it must be associated with one of the 7 different inputs described above. Each different sensory input causes different connections between neurons in the cerebral cortex, and the more inputs you have, the stronger your memory of that fact will be.