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Memory Debate for Psychology (Click to select text)
The Memory Debate The debate over the reliability of memory has been going on before psychotherapy even started. I would like to first began by explaining how a human being's memory works, memory is an information process, somewhat like a computer information-processing system. We use encoding, which is getting information into our brain, we retain that information like storage, and get the information back out when needed by using retrieval. Like a computer we store a great deal of information in what is called our long-term memory, the memories stored in our long-term memory are however not as literal and rather fragile. A human's long-term memory has a relatively permanent and limitless storehouse. Humans also have short-term memory, which is activated memory that only holds a few items briefly, things such as the seven digits of a phone number while dialing, before the information is either stored or forgotten, activated human activity memories rapidly decay unless used or rehearsed. Encoding can be an automatic process, this occurs when little or no effort, without awareness, and without interfering with our thinking about other things. Encoding can also be effortful processing; although we encode an enormous amount of information unintentionally, many other types of information we remember only with much effort, rehearsal, and attention. We can forget things because of encoding failure. Sometimes we fail to encode information, so it never entered the memory system, short-term or long-term memory. A vast amount of what we sense, we never notice or process without encoding effortful process. We also may forget things as a result of retrieval failure, sometimes information gets in our brains and even if we know it is there, we simply cannot retrieve the information. This is when you get the feeling that the information is on the tip of your tongue, but you just can not get the words out. There may also be interference information when it is similar in content. Another type of memory failure is motivated forgetting, an example of this maybe repression, the basic defense mechanism that banishes anxiety-arousing thoughts, feelings, and memories from consciousness. Sigmund Freud suggests that with painful information our memory systems are self-censoring, so we suppress painful memories. Freud says that the repressed memory still lingers around in our brain and with patience and effort, the memory may be retrieved during therapy or in some cases by a later cue. I believe that repressed memories are possible as Sigmund Freud suggests. Children are very fragile and things that happen to them can be very harmful and difficult for them to deal with at such a young age. Out of all the other defenses our body has to prevent some physical harm, it seems only natural that our bodies would have a defense for our minds. I think that it would be much easier for an adult to deal with the memories of some tragic event that happened in their childhood than to have a child dealing with a tragic experience while they are young and might not even fully understand what is happening. I believe that children and adults are susceptible to memory implantation. Everyone is susceptible to memory implantation because memory is reconstruction as well as reproduction, no one can be absolutely sure whether or not a memory is real because unreal memories feel as real as true memories. False Memory Syndrome is defined as a disruptive condition in which a person's identity and relationships center around a false but strongly believed memory of a traumatic experience. The person resists disconfirming information and may become focused on the memory as a way to avoid confronting the real problems in their life. The False Memory Syndrome Foundation believes that it is aiding to expose an offensive effect of America's growing industry of sexual abuse treatment. The foundation does not deny that abuse exists, they do however believe that therapists, self-help books, and the media have exaggerated its prevalence and its lasting impact. I support the concerns of the False Memory Syndrome Foundation to a certain extent. The only reason I partially support the foundation is because it is understandable that perhaps a person is under an enormous amount of stress and through some way have a dream or false memory and take it the wrong way. The person may believe they are truly remembering something that has happened in their past when it may just be a false memory. My other reason for partially supporting the foundation or at least comprehending it is that I am almost positive that there are a small amount of therapists who may have serious problems and actually are out to hurt people and their families by suggesting abuse through hypnosis or other possible ways just to create false memories. Although I believe their concerns maybe valid I also must take into account the number of people who truly are victims of abuse, my concern for the victims of abuse greatly out weigh the concerns for the foundation. I honestly can not think of a solution that would ease the debate besides finding the true answer, a way to successfully interpret when someone is having a real or a false memory, even if thus was to happen there would most likely still be debate over the methods used to interpret real and false memories.
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