Accuracy and inaccuracies in memory

Question 1

Accuracy and Inaccuracy

Answer 1

The way we process memories and thoughts occasionally set us up to make mistakes

Question 2

Source monitoring

Answer 2

• Process of determining the origins of our memories
• Sleeper effects
  Refers to attitude change that occurs over time when we forget the source of information; therefore given more credit.

Question 3

Schematic Processing

Answer 3

• Distortions based on experiences

Schemas
- Improve our memory, but may lead to cognitive biases.
- Lead to confirmation bias; the tendency to verify and confirm our existing memories rather than to challenge and disconfirm them.

Confirmation bias Includes confirming our stereotype.
- Female fire fighters
- Standing by the stove

Question 4

Functional Fixedness

Answer 4

Occurs when people’s schemas prevent then from using an object in new and nontraditional ways.
Ex. Thinking outside the box

Question 5

Misinformation effects

Answer 5

How information that comes later can distort memory.

This can lead to false memories; which then can lead to incorrect allegations of abuse. - Elizabeth Loftus Examined this.

Question 6

False memories

Answer 6

Remember moving to a new house and getting lost in a mall.
- over half the children “remembered” the event that they had just imagined, and in fact insisted it had happened.
- A quarter of the young adults believed that as children they had been lost in a mall and found by an older adults.

Question 7

Over Confidence

Answer 7

Eyewitnesses to crimes are also frequently overconfident in their memories, and there is only a small correlation between how accurate and how confident an eyewitness is. The witness who claims to be absolutely certain about his or her identification is not much more likely to be accurate than one who appears much less sure, making it almost impossible to determine whether a particular witness is accurate or not.

Question 8

Flashbulb memory

Answer 8

A vivid and emotional memory of an unusual event that people believe they remember well.

Question 9

Heuristic Processing

Answer 9

Availability and Representativeness.

How easily something comes to our minds very often is a good shortcut for the likelihood of something.

Usually but things that are sensational or propaganda are in our minds but they are not common.
Ex: Gun control, Israeli-Palestinian war etc.

Question 10

Salience and Cognitive Accessibility

Answer 10

Counterfactual Thinking:-
- The tendency to think about and experience events according to “what might have been” is known as counterfactual thinking.

Cognitive Distortions in real life…
* Why do we still by lottery tickets or have very high risk investments?
* Why are we more worried about gang violence than diabetes?
* Why are we more afraid of planes than cars?