Memory Article

The title of this paper is called Memory Article Analysis. The purpose of this paper is to give detailed information on summaries on the following articles; Developmental Reversals in False Memory: A Review of Data and Theory, Recovered Memories of Sexual Abuse; Scientific Research & Scholarly Resources; Introduction: Empirical Evidence, Psychological Constructs & Scientific Progress, and Influence of Aging on the Neural Correlates of Autobiographical, Episodic, and Semantic Memory Retrieval. Within each analysis there will be a description of each study design, while examining the nature of memory distortion through the use of article Developmental Reversals in False Memory: A Review of Data and Theory. The paper will also discuss controversy affiliated with repressed memories through the use of article Recovered Memories of Sexual Abuse; Scientific Research & Scholarly Resources; Introduction: Empirical Evidence, Psychological Constructs & Scientific Progress, while analyzing autobiographical memories concepts through article Influence of Aging on the Neural Correlates of Autobiographical, Episodic, and Semantic Memory Retrieval.

Introduction

Memory is a process in psychology that deals with encoding information, storing information, and retrieving information. Encoding allows the outside worlds information to reach us in chemical and or physical stimuli. Storing information deals with maintaining information for a certain period of time, and retrieval is using the stored information by locating it and returning it to our consciousness. This paper will discuss in detail a summary of the selected articles giving a description of research designs used in the studies, examining the nature of memory distortion with the selected article chosen, explaining the controversy affiliated with recovered repressed memories through usage of the article, and analyzing the concept of autobiographical memory through the use of selected article.

Article Summaries

Three articles were selected to better assist in analyzing Memory Distortion, repressed memories and Autobiographical Memory in this research paper. The selected article chosen for Memory Distortion was Developmental Reversals in False Memory: A Review of Data and Theory, by authors C. J. Brainerd, V. F. Reyna and S. J. Ceci. The authors review the theoretical and empirical literatures on this counterintuitive possibility. Until recently, the well documented pattern was that susceptibility to memory distortion had been found to decline between early childhood and young adulthood. That pattern is the centerpiece of much expert testimony in legal cases involving child witnesses and victims. During the past 5 years, however, several experiments have been published that test fuzzy-trace theory's prediction that some of the most powerful forms of false memory in adults will be greatly attenuated in children.

Selected article chosen for Repressed Memory was Recovered Memories of Sexual

Abuse; Scientific Research & Scholarly Resources; Introduction: Empirical Evidence, Psychological Constructs & Scientific Progress. Written by Jim Hopper Ph.D., this article gives the definition of recovered memory and explains the debate over the fact present events can induced traumatic experiences from the past, especially in sexually abused children. It explains the researchers point of view on how abuse occurring, and how the evidence may dwindle in the unconscious mind.

Selected article chosen for Autobiographical Memory was "Influence of Aging on the Neural Correlates of Autobiographical, Episodic, and Semantic Memory Retrieval." written by M. St-Laurent, H. Abdi, H. Burianova & C.L Grady. This article is about the results of the Arthurs' memory test trials. The trails were given using the functional magnetic resonance imaging (FMRI) is another imaging technique that provides clear pictures of the structural anatomy and chemistry of the brain by passing a strong magnetic field through the person's head. The Arthurs used individuals who are right-hand, and spoke English. For some of the selected memory trials, pictures with cues to represent closes or personal images were used.

Nature of Memory Distortion

Several fields have captured the attention of science work on memory distortion; the legal profession, the mental health field, and the general public. According to Loftus, (1996) the reason for this is that for the last decade there have been accusations from many patients emerging from psychotherapy about sexual abuse from family members, former teachers, and neighbors. The claim of the patients is that they have repressed or dissociated the "memories" until several therapeutic interventions exhumed the mental contents and their presence ignited. Patients have confronted their abusers after recovering new memories, and some case were fought in the court systems, compelling large sums in damages from their alleged abusers. Some of the accused individuals were often sent to prison (Loftus, 1996).

Brainerd, Ceci, & Reyna, (2008) in a written literature review explained false memories are quintessential episodic memory phenomena: during some passage of life, an individual remember particular events, when in actuality the events never occurred. Memories that are false are often harmless; for example when an individual remembering serving Riesling with lunch when it was actually Merlot. But there are times when such error occurs and it can have a harmful impact. For instance, a doctor who recommends treatments constructed on false memories of a patients' indications. In several experiments review by Brainerd, Ceci, & Reyna, (2008) reported that age developments of false memory have provided test foundations for counterintuitive concepts of the memory of an adult. The results of these experiments reveal that false memory misconceptions rise during childhood, which was unexpected. Thus these challenges received wisdom regarding memory development and therefore bring up new problems in courts. Questions about brain maturation, emotional arousal, forensic application, and essential tools of false-memory assistance and suppression have arisen. Even though the studies reviewed characterized a variation from the customary development-as-improvement, interpretation, and as predicted evolving setbacks in false memory founded on the progress of consideration. The records propose that understanding is the conclusion of growth and is an enhanced guide than exact correctness in the study of memory and cognitive development (Brainerd, Ceci, & Reyna, 2008).

Repressed