In memoriam – psychology
Last night, the University Scholars Program had our first seminar of the semester. Mari, Roxanne, Sarah H. and Jacob led the discussion on the topic of “memory,” inspired by an NPR Radio Lab broadcast on the subject on WNYC. If you haven’t had a chance to listen to the broadcast yet, I highly recommend it. It’s a fascinating program, although I do have some small quibbles with the style of presentation, especially early on in the show. Nevertheless, folks should definitely check it out.
At our seminar last night, Roxanne began by explaining how psychologists discuss memory. I draw upon my notes, which others should feel free to correct in commenting on this post, should my recap prove erroneous at points. As Roxanne explained, in psychology, memory is the internal representation of things that have happened and is “selective,” “constructive,” “reconstructive,” and “dynamic.” The selective function of memory results from the situational nature of memory, that we remember in accordance with certain values, etc. to create or maintain consistency in our interpretation of the world around us, including our memories.
The constructive or reconstructive aspect of memory results when we fill in gaps. For example, the way a lawyer asks a question can influence the answer. In another example, psychology professor Elizabeth Loftus‘ research revealed how memories can even be constructed based on zero experience. For example, in the 1980’s, there were hundreds of reported cases of Satanic sexual abuse which proliferated due to news reports and a cultural fascination with the phenomenon.
We can talk about how memory is dynamic when we consider an event that we may remember one way today and differently five years from now. People take for granted the fidelity of memory, and our legal system is based on it, but this is deeply problematic, as Elizabeth Loftus’ has also demonstrated.
Roxanne also discussed the how memory works in incidences of PTSD, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. For example, when a natural disaster such as a tsunami occurs, in a child who witnesses the event, adrenaline solidifies memory in the hippocampus and creates strong links with the emotional realm of the brain in the amygdala, which leads to the development of super strong memories. These may re-emerge unwillingly through re-experiencing the event in dreams, flashbacks, in physiological responses, etc. Therapy will help break these memories down, help the patient find the accuracy in them, and thereby disempower the trauma of certain memories, reconstructing memory to be more useful.
– Tori
