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 This paper examines the different types and causes of stress and looks at their impact on the body. In particular, it reviews the literature and proposes a study to investigate the effects of physical and mental stress on both short and long-term memory.
Outline:
What is Stress?
Types of Stress
Symptoms of Stress
Stress and Memory Analysis of Questionnaire
Analysis of Pulse Rate
Analysis of Blood Pressure
Analysis of Salivary Cortisol Levels
Results of Memory Clinic Tests
Limitations of the Study
Suggestions For Additional Research
Conclusion
From the Paper "On a lighter note, research has found that the Cortisol induced inhibition of short-term memory is reversible. Elzinga documented that though working memory was inhibited in the Stress State, the rats returned to normal functioning after only ten days of non-stress situations (2005). Signifying with appropriate coping and managing stress individuals can ensure their health. There are a number of ways in which individuals can reduce the effects of stress in their lives. Exercise, proper diet and relaxation techniques can help with releases for built up tension and stress for individuals. Exercise has proven very effective in stress reduction."
Abstract This paper explains how the human memory works and includes detailed information about the complexity and the exact organs of the brain and how these organs affect memory. Included are the differences between long term and short term memory and tips on how to remember information more efficiently.
From the Paper "Perhaps the most important thing scientists have found is that there is no single memory system in the brain. Instead, human memory is divided into at least two broad categories. These can be affected by disease, injury or aging. The first on is explicit memory. Explicit memory is the system that stores concrete knowledge like faces, names, and multiplication facts. This is the knowledge that a person can call up consciously. Implicit memory is the way the brain stores information that isn?t assimilated or called up consciously.(Colliers Encyclopedia CD-ROM) Examples of this are shooting a basketball or stopping a car."
Abstract All of us must age one day, and many of us worry about it. While we all have to expect that there will be an inevitable decline in our physical bodies and appearance, many of us hope that at least we will be able to retain our mental capacity and so grow both older and wiser. However the reality is that aging is often accompanied by a decline in mental capacity. Worse still it can be accompanied by a gradual deterioration in our memories. This paper discusses the very real fear that many of us will have to cope with a deteriorating mental capacity and a decline in cognitive abilities as we enter old age.
Abstract This paper explains human memory and discusses how it is formed. It explores the mysteries the mechanisms of memory, the different levels of memory, and its reliability.
From the Paper "According to the article by Dr. Helen Silvia, the temporal lobe is a region of the brain that presents a significant involvement with memory. It is localized under the temporal bone (above the ears) so named because hair in this region frequently is the first ones to become gray with time. There is considerable evidence pointing to this region as being particularly important for the storage of past events. The temporal lobe includes the temporal neocortex, which could potentially be the region involved with long-term memory."
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 process of "becoming" a woman is one that Simon de Beauvoir expressed in her famous quote "One is not born a woman; rather, one becomes a woman." This phrase indicates that a woman is not born but rather is someone that develops into herself over time. Literature expresses this process in the theme of coming of age, where characters undergo a transformation from childhood to womanhood through experiencing various ordeals. This paper explores the theme of coming of age in three short stories: The stories that shall be examined are "No Name Woman" by Maxine Hong Kingston, "She Wasn't Soft" by T. Coraghessan Boyle, and Jamaica Kincaid's "Girl".
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 false memories 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 looks closely at a chapter describing the inner workings of our human memory, and the three component system that we utilize to retail information. Using sensory memory, working memory and long-term memory we can learn to better encode information in order to be more successful students. The more meaning we can attach to our memories, the stronger memories they become.
From the Paper "Memories can seem to be fleeting moments, shocking us when we can not seem to recall the most standard pieces of information, or surprisingly dense, as when details one thought completely unimportant rise clearly into our thoughts. Understanding the processes behind memory can aid our quests to recall specific information similarly to how an information processing system such as a computer or database works. Through a clear understanding of the three component model of memory--sensory memory, working or short term memory and long term memory--one can apply this awareness towards creating specific rehearsal and encoding cues which will be more likely to remain stable in our long term memory. While the processes of memory have been speculated upon for centuries, a current model describes memory utilizing technological imagery. "
Abstract This well-researched paper reviews and analyzes the latest published research and relevant results pertaining to the nature and dynamics of human memory. The writer of this paper explores the significance of sleep on the formation of memory as well as the impact of menopause and its tendency to affect a woman's memory. This paper details the results of various studies which clearly explain the three distinct stages of memory while also delving into how and why memories either linger on or vanish. This paper presents the findings of studies done on babies and their capacity to remember which greatly increases between 8 and 12 months while long-term memory is not fully developed until after the first year of life. This paper also details the author's results to a particular experiment conducted on 11 students which focused on recognition and delayed recall as they pertained to names and numbers.
Table of Contents:
Abstract
Introduction
Discussion
Psychological Laboratory Report
Bibliography
From the Paper "Findings of a new research unravel the three distinct stages of a memory, how memories endure or vanish. These stages are the stabilizing, the enhancing and the modifying of a memory. In the first stage, the memory or experience is created in the brain, stabilized and then saved like computer files but, unlike computer files, the memory needs six waking hours to become stabilized. The second stage happens during a full night's sleep, on which the enhancement of memory is absolutely dependent, and underscores the significance of sleep to the learning process. And the third stage is the recall phase, wherein the memory that has been stabilized and enhanced can be modified. These findings were drawn from a new research conducted with 100 young subjects, aged 18 to 27 in several finger-tapping sequences at various intervals and points in the sleep-wake cycle. The research, conducted at the Massachusetts Mental Health Center, focused on procedural skill memory, the type that enables the learning of coordination-based skills, like driving, sports, playing musical instruments and surgical procedure."
Abstract The paper examines research involving repressed and recovered memory. The writer begins by pointing out the issues and controversies that the psychiatric community is currently facing. The paper defines repressed memory and recovered memory as a "defense mechanism whereby our thoughts are pulled out of our conscious and into our unconscious".
Contents:
Introduction
Definition of Repressed Memory and Recovered Memory Issues and controversy
Research
Conclusion
From the Paper "Recovered Memories are memories that have been repressed and are recovered at some later date. Often times the event is not recovered until years after it has occurred. According to an article, published by Elsevier Science, recovered memory is not a new phenomenon. (Sivers et al 2002) In fact, it was first discovered during the early twentieth century. The article also explains that there are two schools of thought on the topic of recovered memory. The first school of thought asserts that memories of traumatic events can be repressed and recovered and that the recovered memories can be accurate and clear. The second school of thought asserts that adults with problems simply use the theory of repressed memory to make excuses for their dysfunctional lives."
Abstract Summary: The repressed/false memory 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 false memories of childhood trauma.
Abstract This paper focuses on the study of repressed memory, examining what triggers repressed memories, how recall is shaped and psychological concepts of Freud and how they related to the topic of repressed memories. Several research studies regarding repressed memory are also examined and discussed.
From the Paper "Memory is a cognitive function or process by means of which information and or experiences are catalogued, stored, associated and ultimately retrieved. A field that has gained significance in recent years is that of so-called repressed memories or memories generally of a past trauma of some sort that are recalled in the event of some specific trigger stimulus or cue. The notion that memories are often repressed to the point of no recall absent such triggers is traced to the work of Sigmund..."
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 presents an overview of memory and the different types of memory and then takes a look at the relationship between memory and academic achievement. The paper also describes tests used to measure memory and learning.
From the Paper "This literature review, concerning the topic of the relationship between memory and academic achievement, addresses the following areas relevant to this study: history and overview of memory, different types of memory, memory and academic achievement, tests to measure memory and learning and a conclusion. Baddeley reported that whether memory needs to be regarded as a single system or two or more subsystems was a major controversy during the..."
