Abstract This paper explores what falsememory is and how and why we use it. It also explores the difference between semantic and phonological processing. The effects of falsememory and the varying factors influencing it including thought processing and time before encoding are investigated and discussed thoroughly. The papers also compares this experiement to other similar studies. The results are consistent across all participants and support the theory of falsememoryeffects efficiently.
From the Paper "One hypothesis that can be looked at is: HA: False memory effects are influenced by the depth of processing at encoding. HO: False memory effects are not influenced by the depth of processing at encoding. This can be studied by looking at the empirical results and searching for a large difference between the amount of unstudied critical words and the amount of unstudied unrelated words that are "remembered" across the field of participants. Another hypothesis that can be tested is: HA: False memory effects occur for phonological as well as semantic associates of encoding lists. HO: False memory effects occur for only phonological associates of encoding lists. From the results, it cannot be proven that these types of false memory effects absolutely exist, but can be strongly argued that they do. The larger amount of participants used the better the result that we can achieve."
Abstract This paper presents a research proposal for looking at whether or not a therapist can implant falsememories in a patient. The paper evaluates the issue and suggests a methodology for studying this issue.
From the Paper "Davis and Dalgleish state that false memory syndrome is one of the most controversial issues in the mental health field, noting that essentially it involves recollection of memories usually of sexual abuse that were either falsely programmed or which are legitimately recovered. Bjorklund spells the notion of false memory syndrome out in more detail conceptualizing it as a condition in which an individual's identity and interpersonal relationships center around a..."
Abstract Summary: The repressed/falsememory debate is marked by sharp polarities of what Loftus terms firm believers and skeptics who "point to the reconstructive nature of memory and ask for evidence and corroboration". The debate is far from theoretical since individual's reputations and futures are at stake. While the claims and arguments on both sides of the controversy will be discussed, the purpose here is to explore the nature of memory, repression and dissociation to determine if therapists can distinguish between true and falsememories of childhood trauma.
Abstract This paper describes a research that examined how some words can be falsely recalled during a memory recollection test. The writer explains that, in the research, one 23-year-old student completed an Internet based test that presented a sequence of words followed by a grid of 16 words. The writer notes that the participant selected which words in the grid had previously been shown. The participant correctly recalled 71.43% of previously presented words, 2.08% of non-semantically related words and 66.66% of semantically related words. The writer concludes that falsememories are easy to create for words that are highly semantically related. The writer maintains that these results add weight to the semantic model of memory and arguments against other models of memory. Further, the writer notes that these results have important implications in the identification of suspects during criminal investigations.
From the Paper "Endo and Masao demonstrated that knowledge about the false memory phenomena could alter results. They informed one group of participants about the false memory phenomena but not the other. Half of each group were then asked to respond within four seconds, the other within eight as to whether they 'remembered' seeing the word. Results showed that in the slow condition false memory rates were lower within the forewarned group compared to the uniformed group. However in the fast condition there was no significant difference between the forewarned and uninformed group. Thus in the current experiment the participant is likely to have made more errors had he been uninformed of the false memory phenomena and under time pressure. This would explain why these results do not vary more significantly in comparison to other research. Similarly how words are presented can affect results."
Abstract The repressed memory controversy has spawned numerous debates in a variety of fields, from clinical psychology to legal studies, from the utility of repressed memory testimony in the courtroom to the nature of memory storage and recall. This paper reviews the research literature around the concept of repressed memories and proposes that, despite its emerging salience as a factor, one area not elaborately researched is the role of gender in repressed memories. The paper proposes an experiment designed to test whether gender may affect the creation of falsememories in undergraduates and postulates an outcome based on the hypothesis that the social acceptability of a suggested memory increases how readily participants assimilate new memories (and this can be correlated with gender socialization). The experiment's goal is to work toward understanding the role of gender in the occurrence of repressed memories.
From the Paper "Given the predominance of repressed memory in females, the problem begs the question: does gender affect cognition? The full answer to that question is complex beyond the scope of this paper, but the general summary is that the evidence is inconclusive. From the popular view, it is generally believed that females are better at certain tasks such as facial recognition, color recollection, emotional recognition, and verbal memory; while males are better at tasks such as visuospatial reasoning, chronology, and number memory. At the same time, despite these persistent stereotypes, the evidence to support them is not conclusive (c.f. Caplan, 1997; Halpern 1986). We can say that there is some evidence indicating females may be more suggestible than males (McFarlane, 2002), which might account in part for of the difference in repressed memory, given that a predominance of clients are in therapy (under the influence of a therapist) at the time of the recovery (Freyd, 1999)."
Abstract This paper discusses the effects of repressed memories of child sexual abuse. The paper first examines the link between trauma and repressed memories. The paper then comments on the falsememory debate. The rest of the paper is dedicated to a discussion of the lifetime effects of childhood sexual abuse, such as experiencing dissociative disorder and post-traumatic stress disorder.
Abstract In this article, the writer explains that for therapists, true memories can provide clues as to why patients are suffering from a variety of psychological problems. The writer notes that helping clients gain a clearer understanding requires greater and more detailed insight into the patient's past. Further, the writer points out that most clinical psychologists believe that children can learn to block memories as a survival mechanism and repression, which may cease to be helpful in adult life. Away from the traumatic environment, adults may find their memories resurfacing, either gradually in fragments, or suddenly in vivid flashbacks. The writer maintains that the issue of repressed memory remains controversial, even with the American Psychological Association itself. The writer then concludes that the real truth may be that not all cases are false and not all cases are true, but when dealing with the complex and suggestible process of memory and recall, it can be difficult to discern truth from fiction.
From the Paper "The debate over so-called recovered memory syndrome leaves therapists in a bind. Even the name of the syndrome is controversial. Advocates who say the memories are real call the memories repressed, those who say the memories are false call the memories planted. In 1996, Susan Clancy, then a psychology fellow at Harvard, tried to find a way to see if some people were more prone to re-create memories than other people. She tested women who said they had repressed and then recovered memories of sexual abuse, and control groups who said they were either never sexually abused or had never forgotten their abuse. All were asked to study, memorize and then recite back a list of related words, like candy, sugar, cookie and brownie, that were related to the word sweet--but never the word sweet itself. Everybody had a tendency to falsely remember that the word sweet was one of the words that had been listed, but the women who claimed to have recovered memories of sexual abuse were significantly more likely than the control groups to be very, very confident that the critical word sweet was falsely on that list."
Abstract This paper explains that children in the pre-operational stage of development (ages 2-6) are limited in their ability to think and perceive because they are both egocentric and intuitive, seeing the world only in black and white, and because they believe that all things, both animate and inanimate, have the ability to think and fee. (animism). The author points out that the development of memory in children makes them susceptible to social influences and the recollection of falsememories; therefore, children are particularly affected by suggestibility and interviewer bias. The paper suggests future investigation of childhood memory assessment as it relates to education and to children being interviewed in familiar surroundings. The paper includes several long quotations.
Table of Contents:
Introduction
Social Influences on Memory in Children
Future Research
Conclusion
From the Paper "As it relates to interviewer bias, the article asserts the interviewer bias occurs when an interviewer has a priori of beliefs concerning and event and because of these beliefs fashion the interview to exploit disclosures from the interviewee that are consistent with the interviewer's aforementioned beliefs. The article contends that one characteristic of interviewer bias is the attempt to collect only confirmatory evidence and to evade all questions that may generate disconfirmatory evidence."
Abstract This paper discusses how, even though it is believed that some cases of sexual abuse are true and actually took place, others may have just been implanted in the minds of the traumatized victims by their psychiatrist or psychotherapist. It explains how opponents of this view maintain that recovered memories are actually accurate because it is impossible for the medical practitioner to implant falsememories. The paper studies both views closely to reach an objective conclusion.
From the Paper "When a woman comes forth with delayed memories of sexual abuse, her credibility is usually at stake since people doubt delayed recovery of some traumatic experience. The proponents of "false memory syndrome" maintain that children who have been sexually abuses cannot forget such a traumatic experience and therefore those who come up with delayed memories are victims of FMS (Lego, 1996). FMS or false memory syndrome refers to the case whereby a medical practitioner usually a psychiatrist or psychologist is accused of implanting false memories in the minds of their patients (Kardiner, 1941). This group maintains that memories are very delicate and sensitive to impression and any influence can alter their original form. Contamination of memory occurs when a patient with signs of trauma visits a psychiatrist and during the treatment, the patient is subjected to memory recovery procedures, which can lead to recovery of some kind of trauma that never existed. It is believed this happens because of suggestions made by the psychiatrist during the memory recovery procedure. This is the viewpoint of skeptics who ?argue that the notion of repression is purely hypothetical and essentially untestable, based as it is on unsubstantiated speculation and anecdotes that are impossible to confirm or deny." "
Abstract The paper deals with small cell lung cancer and the problem with regard to radiation and memory loss. The paper states that this form of cancer is prone to brain metastases. The paper confirms that prophylactic cranial irradiation is a controversial method of radiation that has shown to have positive outcomes in small cell lung cancer patients. However, little is known about the effects of radiation on the brain and especially on long-term cognitive and memory loss. The paper, in referring to various studies, concludes that the research is compounded by the large number of variables that need to be taken into account in ascertaining the effects of the process of radiation.
Outline:
Introduction
Prolegomena: Overview and Background
The Brain, Memory and Radiation Treatment
Summation and Conclusion
From the Paper " Lung cancer is one of the most prevalent forms of cancer that affects both men and women in the United States and the world. As figure 1 above illustrates, the number of deaths from lung cancer in the United States far exceeds other common forms of cancer. There are numerous statistics that indicate the increased risks of lung cancer and small cell lung cancer. Figure 2 below illustrates a projection of morality rates in various countries over a ten your period of time. This again clearly indicates the importance of research into lung cancer and particularly the more severe form of small cell lung cancer."
Abstract This paper discusses the hypothesis of a psychology research study examining the effects of aging on loss of associative memory. The paper agrees with the study that memory functions are vulnerable to the effects of aging.
Abstract Alcoholism is one of the largest public health problems in the United States, yet the percentage is extremely low compared to France, Israel or the Soviet Union. However, what would constitute specific effects from long-term drinking? Researchers have battled the integrity to localize the culprit through long-term studies as well as short-term comprehension. Specifically, long-term alcoholism may cause physical pains, mental depression, lower metabolism and possible mental impairments. In this research paper, specific factors are analyzed to show evidence that long-term effect of alcoholism contributes to memory loss through evidence of blackouts, withdrawals and retrievals.
From the Paper "According to a research studied by Aaron White, "Alcohol primarily interferes with the ability to form new long-term memories, leaving intact previously established long-term memories and the ability to keep new information active in memory for brief periods" (White, 2003, p. 185). In other words, long-term alcohol drinking may impede the knack of memory impairments or the modal model such as sensory memory, short-term memory and long-term memory however it depends upon how active the specific memory proceeds within a storage capacity. Alcohol consumed in excessive amounts will decrease metabolism and/or activities due to disruptions within the brain, which contributes to memory impairments."
Abstract The paper explains that the formation of emotion, motivation and long-term memory happens in the limbic system and is performed primarily by the hippocampus. The paper relates that at age 6 or 7, memories consolidate and beyond this time, new memories are usually not processed. The paper shows how, therefore, if a person was abused or neglected as a child, painful or unbearable memory is preserved for a lifetime. This causes damage to the hippocampus and the powers of recall, making a healthy, normal life of open communication extremely difficult or impossible. The paper stresses how this is a consistent condition among survivors of severe childhood abuse whose subsequent interpersonal relations in later life are seriously compromised.
Outline:
Abstract
Introduction
Methods
Conclusion
From the Paper "Psychologists and neuroscientists generally agree that the hippocampus plays an essential role in the formation of new memories about experienced events and as part of a larger medial temporal lobe memory system for facts and episodes (Wikipedia 2006). These memories last a lifetime but the role of the hippocampus ceases after a period of consolidation of the memories. Damage to it renders the formation of new memories or anterograde amnesia very difficult and impedes access to stored memories before the damage or retrograde amnesia. It is believed that older memories are transferred out of the hippocampus to other parts of the brain as a result."
Tags: limbic, memories, neglect, damage, communication
This paper explores the research article "A Procedural Explanation of the Generation Effect for Simple and Difficult Multiplication Problems and Answers" by D. McNamara and A. Healy.
Abstract The paper explains that furthering knowledge into how the memory works is valuable to education providers and to clinicians that seek to further understand mechanisms involved in disorders that are characterized by memory loss. The paper examines hypothesis and experiments by D. McNamara and A. Healy and shows how their research has widespread implications for learning, education and memory. The paper concludes that these findings could be utilized by teachers and administrators to develop programs and curricula that facilitate the retrieval process of pertinent information.
From the Paper "McNamara & Healy (2000) sought to investigate this question to its fullest extent. These researchers focused in on a phenomenon known as the generation effect. This term refers to the increased retention of learned information that is demonstrated as a result of self-generating material rather than material that is passively obtained, through methods such as copying or reading. According to these researchers, when individuals generate information, there is a much greater probability that the information will be available for later recognition and recall. Furthermore, actually participating actively in the learning process has been found to facilitate greater retention in comparison to passive observation."
Abstract The paper shows how by concentrating on correct learning techniques, the student can succeed in his studies. The paper analyzes different steps and methods, the first being setting goals to have focus. Thereafter, the paper discusses effective studying methods, and general methods of studying such as outlining, understanding and elaboration. Finally the paper covers the issue of using memoryeffectively in tests.
From the Paper "Most of the students focus on committing study matter to memory. Though memorizing is the initial step towards effective learning, it neither gets students through most courses at college level, nor makes it possible for any practical application in the professional field. Understanding, as looking at the relationships between different facts that are related, and comprehending how they go together, is necessary. Understanding includes the ability to explain in satisfactory detail what the facts under study mean, and what conclusions can be formed reasonably from these facts."
