Meet the Phenomena
John Irving once said, “Your memory is a monster; you forget - it doesn't. It simply files things away. It keeps things for you, or hides things from you - and summons them to your recall with a will of its own. You think you have a memory; but it has you” (Brainy 1). Few people would ever consider memory a monster, but John Irving speaks the truth, at least in a sense. Think back to an early childhood memory. Perhaps the memory is extremely vague, or perhaps you can recall every single detail. That precious memory of a single moment in time seems so tangible, you can smell, see, and taste the things you did then. Your childhood memories are so dear and special that you will most likely remember them as long as you live.
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However, what if everything you just recalled was a lie? What if all memories were a figment from your imagination? Perhaps, over a decade has passed since the event you recalled actually happened. Do you really know if the freshly cut grass was a bright green and a quarter inch tall, or if the heavy rain persisted throughout the entire day while the sun went down at precisely 6:32 in the summer evening? As fallible as humans are, how likely is it that our memory is concrete? Human memory actually happens in three different stages: encoding, storage, and retrieval. Once we hear, see, touch, or smell something significant, “we process information by encoding its meaning, encoding its image, or mentally organizing it” (Myers 262). After the sensory stimulus has entered into our brains, and been given some meaning making it worth retaining, our brain goes through the process of storing the information. More precisely, “a memory-to-be enters the cortex through the senses, then winds its way into the brain’s depths. Precisely where it goes depends on the type of information...” (269). Though now a memory has been formed in the brain, “to remember an event requires much more than getting it in (encoding) and retaining it (storage)” (273). The last step in memory is retrieval, where your brain will recall or recognize the memories that have been stored when triggered by a similar event or by a previous association, called a retrieval cue. Memory is not as simple as many people believe. With all the steps involved in creating a memory, it is extremely easy for something to go wrong at any step of the process. At times, we may completely forget an event. Other times, we may experience a false perception of memory. Even yet, some memories get altered while completing the memory process. The Tip-of-the-tongue phenomenon, False memories, and Déjà vu are three examples of not only common experiences in daily life, but also of times when the memory process messes up, manipulating our brains and tinkering in daily life. Tip-of-the-Tongue-Phenomenon Imagine a student studying hard late at night for history class, working every region of his brain tirelessly. He wakes up the next morning with a full knowledge of the election of 1800, the discovery of California's gold in 1848, and even the events of both world wars. In short, the student is the most prepared for one class that he's ever been in his sixteen years of life. The shrill bell rings, and he triumphantly parades into class. The teacher assumes her normal place at the blackboard where she reviews yesterday's covered material. "Class," she asks, “Who can tell me the year America joined the Allies in World War One?" The student plunges his hand quickly into the air, since he remembers studying the answer of the question on page twenty-one of his notes. "Yes," the teacher responds, "Do you know?" He begins to open his mouth and let the correct answer soar out on the wings of eagles, but all at once, the answer seems to be non-existent. "The answer is......well, I forgot," mumbles the student disappointedly. He knows the answer; yet, he cannot remember it. He can feel the numbers of the year dancing of the very tip of his flabbergasted tongue, and still, he cannot recall the recall the year 1917. What the student is experiencing is a cognitive failure known as the Tip-of-the-Tongue phenomenon. The phenomenon is also referred to as the French phrase Presque vu, which translates to "almost seen." This phenomenon is extremely common; “studies have shown that it happens to most people about once a week” (Grooms 1). The student studied so hard that he could literally almost see the answer, and yet, he had no idea what the answer was. Another example of the TOT phenomenon includes failing to name a thing, yet being able to thoroughly describe the details of that thing. Presque Vu happens when “the retrieval process goes awry" (Tip 2). Even though the memory is in one’s head, one fails to retrieve the memory “due to another memory creating a blockade and denying access to it” (TOT 1). Another theory as to why the phenomenon occurs “is because the retrieval cue is not valid” (1). Our memories are all linked together by a web of associations. Sometimes, a retrieval cue can cue more than one memory, causing a memory blockage. Other times, one certain cue may not be enough to fully recall a certain memory. Although extremely inconvenient, the TOT phenomenon’s effect is only temporary. Most people are able to recall the memory after a few moments. Yes, the Tip-of-the-Tongue Phenomenon is one way in which one's mind falls victim to the manipulation of memory, but a temporary glitch is the least of our brain's shortcomings. False Memories Perhaps, one prides themselves on having an unwavering, perfectly photographic memory.
Since memory is known to fade with the passage of time, it is very unlikely any one person remembers everything in perfect detail, unless that person has been diagnosed with a savant syndrome. Nevertheless, the likely hood of a truly photographic memory in an ordinary person is unlikely. Those precious memories of swinging in a swing or of riding a bike for the first time are probably riddled with false information, all the result of another mental phenomenon known as false memory.
In one study conducted by Jason Chan and his partner Jessica Lapaglia, participants put the accuracy and concreteness of their memories to the test. Volunteers were told to watch the pilot episode of the show 24 and then answer some comprehension questions about the episode. Next, the participants listened to an audio summary of the episode, where some of the details had secretly been changed. After listening to the summary, the participants took another comprehension test over what they had seen in the episode. What Chan and Lapaglia found was that the false information had rewritten the original information, even if the participant had correctly recalled the information the first time. The unfortunately two-faced side of memory is the fact that "memories are just rewritten once, but every time we remember them" (Yong
7). False memory is the result of the vulnerability of the memory system itself and results when our memories aren't properly stored and then retrieved too early. Therefore, those old and precious childhood memories, as well as new formed memories, are under the constant prey of false memory each time one cares to reminisce. Even yet, our manipulative memory does much more than stall when we need it most and throw what we hold dear in the firing line. Deja Vu According to David G. Myers, “two-thirds of us have experienced this fleeting, eerie sense that ‘I’ve been in this exact situation before’” (275). This situation that he describes is known as Deja Vu, which is French for “already seen” (What 1). Deja Vu is another glitch in the retrieval process, which occurs when cues from new experiences activate retrieval cues from extremely similar occurrences. The two situations may be extremely different, yet; at the right time, the context of the situations may be the same. For example: “A young man lies down to take a nap. A breeze is stirring through a half-opened window, billowing the lace curtains. The sound of someone practicing an instrument can be heard through the window along with the noises of kids playing a ball game. There is a smell of muffins cooking in the next room. Imagine, also, that the young man knows his mother will wake him after a half hour or so. He is expecting then to greet his father who is coming home from a trip. How can we describe the feeling that young man has? It is tinged with melancholy, sleepiness, hunger, perhaps, anticipation, and other even vaguer emotions—feelings that have no name. But that exact overall feeling, indescribable though it may be, is memorable. Now imagine that same man, no longer young, as he sits in a park in a strange city. There is a soft breeze blowing and the sounds of a musical instrument being played in the park along with the noises of kids playing ball a few blocks away. There is a stand nearby selling pastries. He is waiting to meet his fiancé. Suddenly, he is overcome by a sense of déjà vu. The place seems strangely, impossibly, familiar, but it is really the feeling that is familiar. He experiences the sense of familiarity and explains it to himself as emanating from the place itself” (Neuman 2 & 3). Though the young man has never been to that specific place before, the subtle details of the place have triggered a past memory, making it seem like the man has been in the exact same situation. Our memory web of associations is so linked that it can cause us to have false perception of familiarity resulting in the very disorienting feeling of Deja Vu. Summation of Phenomena Our complex memory is one of the shining glories in humanity; however, as John Irving would agree, it is a monster that manipulates our daily lives. Whether by causing a temporary forgetfulness, erasing our most precious memories, or by disorienting one’s situation completely, the memory monster can wreak havoc in our brains. The Tip-of-the-Tongue phenomenon, False memories, and Deja Vu are three common examples of memory’s manipulation, though there are many more. Our memory is just as human as we are. In the end, the glitches in our memory system should be appreciated, because it is through them that unlock the secrets and unique ability of the human mind.
Primo Levi once said, " Human memory is a marvelous but fallacious instrument. The memories which lie within us are not carved in stone; not only do they tend to become erased as the years go by, but often they change, or even increase by incorporating extraneous features.." The memory of a human being is a fascinating matter, but it is not something that stays with us forever. Memories will often change or multiply with unnecessary information, but they are what define you as you.
Even our social interactions with others are dependent upon what we remember. In a sense it can be said that our identity relies on an intact memory, and the ability to remember who we are and the things that we have done. Almost everything we do depends on our ability to remember the past.
When the topic of childhood memory pops up in a conversation the listeners would think the story teller is telling the truth right? Well, what if I said that the people telling the stories might not even know if they aren’t? When these stories are told most don’t realize the little bit of memory actually involved. So how much or it is true and how much it came from another inaccurate place? Where could something like that come from? Were Jennette Walls’ memories real? Does this affect you or is it not a big dilemma? Should these be considered There are several different debates within itself but the main one to focus on is are your memories even your memories?
Memories can be altered based on acquisition, storage, and retrieval. Acquisition is what we notice or perceive based on what we are paying attention to. Storage is what information gets stored into one’s memory. Retrieval correlates with the false memory syndrome, which is recalling a previous traumatic experience that is false but believed to be true. The false memory syndrome is often noticed during police interrogations and leads to coerced confessions, which is when the individual being interrogated is essentially pressured to confess.
“Holding onto past memories helps humans avoid pain in the future. These experiences also help them make better decisions in the future.” (Kenny) Many people advise others to learn from the past and apply those memories so that you can effectively succeed by avoiding repeating past mistakes. On the contrary, people who get too caught up with the past are unable to move on to the future. Memories are the foundation of a person's mindset because what you make of them is entirely up to you.
The first issue that needs to be addressed however is what exactly is memory? “ Without memory we would be servants of the moment, with nothing but our innate reflexes to help us deal with the world. There would be no language, no art, no science, no culture. Civilization itself is the distillation of human memory” (Blakemore 1988). The simple interpretation of Blakemore’s theory on what memory is that a person’s memory is at least one of the most important things in their life and without it civilization itself could not exist.
...pporting details. At the conclusion of the article, the authors share their thoughts on how it might be virtually impossible to determine when a memory is true or false. I also like their willingness to continue the investigations despite how difficult it might be to obtain concrete answers.
However, there are many errors that a person can make when repeating the information he experienced, either because he forgot details from the event or because he misinterpreted some of the information. Wells and Bradfield
A memory can be a powerful thing to a person. Memories cultivate our perceptions of someone you are related to or something such as the topic of war. Also a memory that means something to you may have a different meaning to someone else. Such as when I was younger I have a memory of my brother in law being in the paper for putting out an enormous fire and saved a life. I thought of him as a hero and remember it being a joyous memory but to him it was the opposite. He remembers it as having to jump through windows into blazing fire, fighting off the crowd who had pulled their cars over the fire hose, and walking in to find it was too late for a person living in the house. After have putting out the fire, he walked out to raging crowd screaming at them they did not do everything they could. The memory was an unpleasant and unsettling one to him. In “My Papa’s Waltz” by Theodore Roethke and “Dulce et Decorum Est” by Wilfred Owen people see their memories as one way but it means the complete opposite to them.
Research has shown that even though information may be committed to memory, what is retrieved can be altered during the encoding process. It has been said that, “the recollection of memory can be manipulated and or large aspects of the event can be confabulated.” (Cain,1997). Moreover, the recollection of past experiences can negatively affect future decisions, opinions, and more significant outcomes such as an eyewitness. This type of impact is due to something called, “false memories.” False memories can be defined as “an recollection of an event that never actually occurred.” False memories are said to be normal occurrences and have little impact on lives. However, Loftus and Palmer argue something different. In 1974, Loftus and Palmer conducted an experiment to test out the theory behind “false memories.” Their aim was to show that language used in eyewitness testimony can alter memory. People in this experiment were asked to estimate the speed of motor vehicles using different ways of questioning. Loftus and Palmer asked questions in regards to vehicle speed because typically that is something that most people are bad at estimating. Therefore these people would be more vulnerable and open to suggestions. The procedure of this experiment involved participants watching a video of cars. Participants were asked what they had seen in regards to how that car came in contact with the other car. Loftus and Palmer used words like “crashed, collided, hit, and smashed.” Their findings concluded that the estimated speed was affected by the verb used to describe the cars’ contact with one another. It seem as if participants saw that the verbs as clues of the speed the cars were going. Loftus and Palmer also came to the conclusion that there could only be two reasons for their findings. Those reasons were Response- bias factors or the fact that the memory representation is alter.
There have been several experiments done to try to prove that false memories can indeed be formed. One experiment, for example, was tried with a 14-year-old boy. The boy was told four memories, one of which was falsely constructed but similar to that of a true memory. The memories that were suggested took place when the boy was about 10 years younger. As the false memory was retold to him, he was asked to explain in detail what he had remembered from that event. Surprisingly, he claimed to remember the event, even though it was falsely created by the interviewer and his brother, and went on to explain what he remember to have happened, details and all. After collecting everything he had said about the four memories, he was told that one of the suggested memories was made-up and he was asked to guess which one it may have been. When he couldn’t decide which one it was, he was told that it was in fact the memory of getting lost in a store. He was confused and had trouble believing the truth.
This paper discusses the current state of research into false memories and memory manipulation as well the therapeutic applications of this research. The paper describes studies that demonstrate the susceptibility of memory to change and influence to establish the viability of memory manipulation. Current and proposed applications of memory modification are described through the chronicling of research in the area. The ethical concerns of such research are discussed as well as potential subjects of future research. Utilization of mnemonic elasticity is determined to be a valuable asset that has great potential for present and future interventions.
Memory is the tool we use to learn and think. We all use memory in our everyday lives. Memory is the mental faculty of retaining and recalling past experiences. We all reassure ourselves that our memories are accurate and precise. Many people believe that they would be able to remember anything from the event and the different features of the situation. Yet, people don’t realize the fact that the more you think about a situation the more likely the story will change. Our memories are not a camcorder or a camera. Our memory tends to be very selective and reconstructive.
Bartlett’s “War of the Ghosts” experiment (1932) is a classic example of false memories. The results of his study found participants would unintentionally alter the information of a story they read in a way that was more reflective of their own lives. Otagaar, et.al. (2013) examined false memories by developing non-believed memories in adults and children about taking a ride in a hot air balloon. The results of this study found that when the participants were asked immediately after reading a passage about this memory, most did not recall going on a hot air balloon. However, when the participants were called back a few months later, a higher percentage of participants recalled having experienc...
According to Sternberg (1999), memory is the extraction of past experiences for information to be used in the present. The retrieval of memory is essential in every aspect of daily life, whether it is for academics, work or social purposes. However, many often take memory for granted and assume that it can be relied on because of how realistic it appears in the mind. This form of memory is also known as flashbulb memory. (Brown and Kulik, 1977). The question of whether our memory is reliably accurate has been shown to have implications in providing precise details of past events. (The British Psychological Association, 2011). In this essay, I would put forth arguments that human memory, in fact, is not completely reliable in providing accurate depictions of our past experiences. Evidence can be seen in the following two studies that support these arguments by examining episodic memory in humans. The first study is by Loftus and Pickrell (1995) who found that memory can be modified by suggestions. The second study is by Naveh-Benjamin and Craik (1995) who found that there is a predisposition for memory to decline with increasing age.