Project Summary: False Memory

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Recommended: Nature of false memories

Frank Moreno
Mentor: Dr.Siedlecki
Project summary

Part 1:
False memory afflict everyone. People's memories are vulnerable to outside influence and may not be reliable. However, the exact reason why certain individuals tend to create false memories is unknown. Memory is the process in which information is encoded, stored, and retrieved. The storage stage entails that we maintain this information over periods of time. Retrieval is the calling back of this stored information. Malfunctions in one of these stages leads to memory disorder as well as issues such as false memories (Loftus, 2007). False memories are made when true memories are combined with details suggested by others. During the process individuals tend to forget the source of information. Most people experience false memories. However, the precise mechanisms by which such false memories are constructed await further research. It is also unknown exactly what types of individuals are particularly susceptible to these forms of suggestions and which are resistant (Loftus,2007). It has been found that tendency to produce false memories may be a task-specific characteristic of individuals meaning it is most likely caused by a certain characteristic a group of people share.. These false memories are created on the neural networks of the temporal …show more content…

Inside the temporal lobe is the hippocampus- the part of the brain directly involved with the forming, organizing, and storage of memory. In fact, change in the hippocampal volume is correlated with decline in memory performance. Decay of the hippocampus is not inevitable and may be reversible. This volume is moderated with health related factors such as stress, alcohol consumption, and depression (Baily, 2012). Because of its relation to decreased hippocampal volume and memory performance, depression may be a character-specific factor that leads to false

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