Chapter 8: Everyday Memories and Memory Errors Flashcards
Memory is fundamentally a _______ process.
how reliable is our memory
Heuristic (Mental shortcuts)
What age are stable long-term memories formed by?
8
Most memories among older people for events are between what ages?
between the ages of 10 and 30
When does our Pre-Frontal Cortex mature at? Why is this important
early 20s
most our of major life events occur during this phase (college, marriage, children)
Are all memories stored equally well?
no
What may the reason for the following events to be stored more easily than others?
- Graduation
- Marriage/starting a relationship
- Birth of a child
Emotions
Why are emotional memories remembered better in the brain
increased amygdala activation enhances memory consolidation
What are flashbulb memories
- Cases of extreme amygdala activation
- Memory for highly charged events
What are 3 examples of flashbulb memories
- JFK assassination (1963)
- Space shuttle challenger disaster (1986)
- 9/11 attacks (2001)
During flashbulb memories, people tend to distinctly remember what? (3)
- Where they were
- what they felt
- what they were doing
Are flashbulb memories reliable? Why?
not really
- most of this information changes significantly over time.
- Disconnect between what is remembered vs actual experience
- memories change in response to subsequent information (news, talking to others)
Are normal memories also susceptible to changes over time like flashbulb memories ?
yes
details of the actual memory reduce over time
- everyday memories are less confident than flashbulb
How does metacognition relate to memories changing over time
confidence has little to do with accuracy of memory
- we are more confident in our memory than we should be
Why is it easier to remember someone after meeting them vs seeing a picture?
Meeting a person involves activation of multiple modalities
- Visual (how they look)
- Auditory (how they sound)
- Somatosensory (how they shake hands)
- Olfactory (how they smell)
Why may we end up remembering things very differently from how they actually happened? (2)
- Memory is a constructive process affected by actual experience and additional influences (Discussions, News, Expectations, hopes, predictions (sleep))
- We are constantly updating our memory with new information (reconsolidation)
Suggestive questioning shows what about memory
- Memory is a constructive process affected by actual experience and additional influences
Are eyewitness testimonies trustworthy? why (3)
not always
- faulty assumptions
- misidentification due to familiarity (source monitoring error)
- Example: Incorrectly recalling a conversation that occurred in a dream as reality. - false memories
What is source monitoring error
familiarity causing misidentification
What are 4 ways to increase reliability of eyewitness testimony
- Isolate the eyewitness, don’t allow them to talk to anyone or follow the news
- Allow them to describe the context and events as fully as possible with minimal questioning
- Avoid suggestive questioning
- do not give feedback
Which kinds of memories are most susceptible to errors
episodic and autobiographical
What is Alzheimers disease
a progressive degeneration condition
- Starts with mild memory problems, lapses of attention, difficulties in language and communication
- Eventually become completely dependent on others, lose almost all memories, and fail to recognize close relatives
Evidence in the brain for Alzheimer’s disease
Senile plaques
neurofibrillary tangles
What are senile plaques
Deposits of beta-amyloid protein that accumulate in intercellular space
what are neurofibrillary tangles
Twisted protein fibers found within the neurons
Esp. hippocampus
Plaques and Tangles in the brain result in what? why?
significant neuronal death
- plaques: interfere with neuronal communication
- tangles: block transportation of essential molecules within cells
What is the final brain result in Alzheimers disease
- significant loss of neurons (especially in hippocampus)
- larger ventricles
- shrinking of the brain
Why do memory errors occur (3)
- memory is a heuristic process
- attentional capacity is limited (especially in highly emotional situations)
- Injuries or illness can affect areas of the brain involved in memory (PFC and HPC)
Why arent all memories created equal
- Semantic more robust than episodic
- Implicit memories > explicit memories
Understanding memory mechanisms has significant implications for what
- Legal cases (eyewitness testimony)
- Treating mental illnesses (PTSD and reconsolidation)
- Understanding ourselves
