Essay on Human Memory: a Passive Mechanism or Dynamic System?

Words: 2713
Pages: 11
Open Document
Memory is a capacity that humans rely upon to relate to different events, experiences, conditions, and people. It is a vitally important process and system whereby the brain receives information from (external or internal) stimuli, stores it (encoding), and makes it available on a future occasion (retrieval). It provides continuity to people’s experiences across different periods of time.

Research is increasingly concluding that the brain works as an integrated whole rather than a series of discrete parts. In forming memory the brain passes information along the Papez circuit which involves a number of regions of the brain. Brain research indicates that memory formation produces physical changes to the way neurons are organized and …show more content…
When the pieces were organized otherwise their recall was no better than that of non chess players. It might therefore be concluded that semantic processing has an important role in the dynamic interplay between information from LTM and STM recall.

This expertise effect has been observed across a range of contexts. For example, Morris et al. 1985 (Ibid), observed how keen football fans remembered match scores better than more casual fans. Logie at al., 1992 (Ibid) observed how experienced burglars can remember details of houses seen in photographs, for only a few moments, better than police officers or householders.

Tulving’s (1975, 1983) highly influential ‘encoding specifity principle’ focuses on the relationship between encoding and retrieval, and suggests that we remember more if the cues that are available during retrieval overlap or match with cues that were registered at encoding. This theory states that memory utilizes information both from the specific memory trace as well as from the environment in which it is retrieved.

Many of these retrieval-enhancing techniques seek to capitalize upon the highly connectionist and elaborate processing at the encoding phase. By creating a richer network of associations these processes endeavor to increase the likelihood of overlap between the features. As a theory it may have some advantages over the two-stage theory as it accounts for the fact that, in practice,
Show More

Related Documents: Essay on Human Memory: a Passive Mechanism or Dynamic System?

Is Memory A Constructive And Dynamic System

Memory is a constructive and dynamic system rather than a passive mechanism for recording external information. Evaluate this claim, making reference to research findings. In order to evaluate this claim it is necessary to look at some of the research that has been carried out on memory. Most of the relevant research findings support the theory that memory is indeed a constructive and dynamic system but how much of what we store in our memory is down to active and conscious energy and how much…

Words 1659 - Pages 7

Essay about Kathy: Psychology and Feelings

transferences and the therapist’s interpretations of them - released previously repressed feelings, allowing the patient to gain self insight. • Unconscious: According to Freud , a reservoir of mostly unacceptable thoughts, wishes, feelings, and memories. According to contemporary psychologists, information processing of which we are unaware. • Personality Structure • Id: contains a reservoir of unconscious psychic energy that, according to Freud, strives to satisfy basic sexual and aggressive…

Words 1538 - Pages 7

Case Study: Evolution Of Behavior

possess certain alleles, as a result of the influence of those alleles. Natural selection: alleles make it easier to survive in environment Sexual selection: alleles increase sexual attractiveness and therefore you get more mates Artificial selection: humans select what traits make it into next generation Kin selection: animals share genes because they are related to each other, behaviors to protect your relatives How can we determine the relationship between genes and behavior? Mendelian Crosses: -dominant…

Words 3510 - Pages 15

Computer crime involves Essay example

government agencies:  85% detected computer security breaches in the preceding 12 months  Financial losses due to security breaches topped $377 million  70% reported that Internet connections were frequent points of attack  Only 31% said that internal systems were frequent points of attack. Theft by computer  Theft is the most common form of computer crime. Computers are used to steal  Money  Goods  Information  Computer resources  One common type of computer theft today is the actual theft of computers…

Words 7422 - Pages 30

Essay on Final Exam Study Guide

factor. The variable that may change in response to manipulations of the independent variable. Experimenter Bias: The phenomenon in experimental science by which the outcome of an experiment tends to be biased towards a result expected by the human experimenter. Placebo Effect: Experimental results caused by expectations alone. Any effect on behavior caused by the administration of an inert substance or condition, which the recipient assumes is an active agent. Double-Blind Procedure:…

Words 4850 - Pages 20

Essay on higher biology unit one

Paramecium: a unicellular animal Multicellular Organism The cells of a multicellular organism, all have the same components but they vary in shape, size and function. There are at least 20 different types of cell in the human body each with different job – blood cells, nerve cells and so on. The structure of a cell is related to its function. Cells with the same structure and function tend to be grouped together and form tissues. A tissue is a group of cells specialised…

Words 4334 - Pages 18

Questions On Stress

Psych module 3 Stress- hypothalamus/pituitary kick in fight or flight Medulla secretes catecholamines, which cause damage to cp system after long term exposure Cortisol also damages heart Different types of stressors’ responses General adaptation syndrome 3 phases Alarm- hypersensitive, something’s not right Resistance- I should fight this stress Exhaustion-emotional or physical Serotonin plays role in mood Main neurotransmitter implicated in depression Factors that affect stress response…

Words 7950 - Pages 32

Biodiversity and Water Essay examples

4. Energy processing 5. Response to the Environment 6. Regulation 7. Evolutionary Adaptation • Hierarchy Organization 1. Molecule 2. Organelle 3. Cell 4. Organ 5. Organ System 6. Organism 7. Population 8. Community 9. Ecosystem 10. Biosphere • Prokaryote Vs. Eukaryote Prokaryote 1. First to evolve 2. Much smaller and simpler…

Words 7914 - Pages 32

Jame: Motivation and Organizational Goals Essay

followers in the direction of established goals by the clarifying role task requirements. It focuses on interpersonal interactions between managers and employees; we have Contingent Reward, Management by Exception (Active), Management by Exception (Passive) – “I don’t do anything until you do something wrong”, and Laissez-Faire – “Avoidance of leadership”. TRANSFORMATIONAL LEADERSHIP leaders are leader who motivate employees to transcend self-interests to pursue organizational goals and to perform beyond…

Words 4773 - Pages 20

Maslow ' s Hierarchy of Needs and Job Essay example

assignment. 2. Compliance. Your friend grudgingly complies and will need prodding to satisfy minimum requirements. 3. Resistance. Your friend will say no, make excuses, stall, or put up an argument.9 Social power – ability to get things done with human, informational, and material resources. Socialized power -Directed at helping others. Personalized power - Directed at helping oneself. Five Bases of Power Reward power - Obtaining compliance with promised or actual rewards. Coercive power - Obtaining…

Words 8439 - Pages 34