Psych 10//10 memory

There are different memory types, particularly focusing on recent memories vs. older memories.
It is noted that more recent memories are less dependent on certain foundational factors than older, more stable memories.
Individuals with brain injuries demonstrate varying memory functions, categorized as normal memory/cognitive functions (light dashed line) vs. impaired memory functions due to head injuries (straight line).

Observations indicate that when comparing memory performance over decades (e.g., from the 1920s to the 1950s), the decline in memory starts increasing drastically after specific traumatic events (e.g., surgery).
- For example, memory retention from years before surgery can be stronger than from the few years post-surgery.

Patients with PCHD exhibit no deficits in short-term memory functions:
- Subjects can remember numbers given to them for short periods (e.g., 594).
- An example of a patient (Patient 810) demonstrates a unique mnemonic technique to remember numbers (e.g., using arithmetic heuristics instead of straightforward rehearsal).

Patient 810 demonstrates creative problem-solving ability in recalling numbers (e.g., using "8" and arithmetic logic to derive others).
It shows variability in techniques of short-term memory recall which may differ from typical rehearsal methods.

To test subjective understanding of time, subjects are removed from a room and then asked how long they believe the experimenters were gone. Remarkably, some patients (like Patient 810) performed accurately, attributing their ability to simply checking the clock rather than recollecting events.

Declarative Memory: New long-term memories that relate to factual and sequential information (what you can consciously recall).
Procedural Memory: Implicit skills and tasks done unconsciously (e.g., riding a bike).

Patients underwent skills tests like mirror tracing where they could visually see their hand movements reflected.
Over multiple trials, even when not recalling prior sessions, significant improvement in performance indicated the retention of procedural memory.
- Patient 810 showed robustness in procedural memory despite not recalling past events or practices related to the task.

Experiments indicated that the medial temporal lobe is vital for forming declarative memory but not required for procedural memory. This understanding arose from findings associated with Patient 810 and others over decades of research in psychology.

Another severe case of amnesia due to encephalitis leading to widespread hippocampal and frontal lobe damage.
Clive exhibited both severe anterograde (inability to remember new information) and retrograde (difficulty recalling past memories) amnesia.
Recorded entries in his diary demonstrated poor retention of thoughts and reflections, leading to an understanding of his memory as fragmented and momentary.
Clive's perspective revealed profound emotional connections (especially with his wife) despite memory impairment.

Short-term and Long-term Memory: Observations of Clive demonstrate that cognitive abilities can be intact despite severe memory disruption, thus highlighting the division between conscious recollection and emotional attachment.
Understanding consciousness and memory: Clive recognized surroundings but constantly experienced time as "starting anew." His self-conscious reflections indicated a lack of continuity in memory, leading to an existence perceived as 'present moment' only.

Chiropractic studies have shown that the hippocampus is essential in navigating and recalling spatial environments, which is displayed in studies alongside London taxi drivers demonstrating enhanced hippocampal plasticity.
- Findings suggest that repeated exposure to spatial tasks might increase hippocampal size and efficiency in navigation like in renowned taxi driver training in London.

Experimental designs reveal that exposure to related words can affect memory accuracy leading to the phenomenon of false memory where participants remember non-presented words (e.g., "sleep" instead of presented words).
Approximately 80% of individuals misidentified having seen specific words based on associative relationships established in a list, representing cognitive distortion in memory retrieval.

A landmark study by Elizabeth Loftus examined how changing a single word in a question about witnessed events (e.g., a car crash) could alter participants’ speed estimates and recollections of the event, significantly illustrating the malleability of human memory.

Further research established that subjects could be led to believe in events that never occurred (e.g., being lost in a shopping mall), indicating that memory is susceptible to external suggestions and misinformation.
Such investigations into false memories illustrated ethical considerations in psychological testing, especially involving suggestive techniques or therapeutic interventions.

False memory research contributes to the understanding of eyewitness testimony reliability. Numerous convictions were overturned due to inaccurate identifications fueled by these memory distortions, underscoring the critical need for procedural reforms in eyewitness identification protocols.

The risk of misidentification leads to significant wrongful convictions, with eye witness testimony accounting for approximately 70% of mistakes in capital cases. Institutions underline the importance of training for lineup administration to mitigate such inaccuracies.

Overall, memory is complex, comprising a plethora of types and depths (both explicit and implicit). The exploration of conditions such as amnesia and application of cognitive psychology can enrich our understanding of how memories can be formed, recalled, reshaped, or even misconstructed, highlighting substantial concerns in real-world contexts, particularly the judicial system.