Chapter 8: The Cost Of Memory Errors

The topic within chapter eight that I found to be most interesting, was the subject that covered “The Cost of Memory Errors”. I found this to be the most intriguing topic, because the memories one possesses may, or may not contain false elements within the memory itself. It seems a little unsettling that one can increase, or take away elements from a memory for it to make since in one’s own mind. It leads one to wonder how the memories one possesses can be trusted to be completely accurate. How is it possible for a single memory to be remembered in different aspects?
I have experienced this with my siblings, in which they remember situations within our childhood quite differently than I myself remember them. I am fascinated by the fact that two individuals experiencing the same event at the same time can both have completely different memories about the event. It leads one to question which memory is in fact the correct one, or if it is a combination of both memories put together that makes the memory correct. With that being said one can also see how adding to a memory in order to make sense of something could have beneficial aspects as well.

The human mind is such a complex entity in which it can change one’s concept of extreme situational memories as well as even simple memories. I feel that this has a huge impact upon the judicial system and the type of testimonies that are relied upon for court trials. So many lives are impacted over the result of memory errors that there ought to be more research studies devoted specifically to this topic which deals with false eyewitness testimonies concerning memory errors, and court