Forgetting and Amnesia | Noba

Forgetting and Amnesia

• Forgetting: A natural part of life allowing us to manage information efficiently.

Key Concepts

• Memory Retrieval: Retrieval cues help recall forgotten memories.

• Pathological Forgetting: Studied in cases of amnesia (anterograde and retrograde).

Causes of Everyday Forgetting

1. Encoding Failure: Information not attended to or learned.

   • Example: Difficulty recognizing a penny due to lack of attention.

2. Decay: Memories fade over time if not rehearsed.

   • Ebbinghaus' studies showed significant forgetting occurs shortly after learning.

3. Retrieval Failure: Inability to access a memory without appropriate cues.

   • Real-life example: Forgetting a password without hints.

4. Interference: Other memories block retrieval.

   • Proactive Interference: Old memories hinder new learning.

   • Retroactive Interference: New memories disrupt recall of old ones.

5. Intentional Forgetting: Actively trying to forget unpleasant experiences.

   • Example: Suppressing embarrassing moments from the past.

Adaptive Nature of Forgetting

• Forgetting can be beneficial, filtering out less important details.

• The case of mnemonist Shereshevsky illustrates that excessive memory can be maladaptive.

Amnesia

• Anterograde Amnesia: Inability to form new memories post-onset of amnesia.

  • Example: Patient H. M. who lost memory after surgery.

• Retrograde Amnesia: Inability to retrieve memories formed before amnesia onset.

  • Temporary versus permanent amnesia.

Types of Amnesia

1. Organic Amnesia: Resulting from brain injury.

2. Dissociative Amnesia: Loss of autobiographical memories not caused by physical injury.

   • Often associated with trauma and psychological factors.

Conclusion

• Our understanding of everyday forgetting helps recognize the importance of memory efficiencies. Amnesia cases reveal the profound impacts of memory loss, contrasting everyday lapses in memory.