Sunday, February 17, 2013

DiStOrTeD Memories

Hello Everyone. Today I would like to talk about memories. All of us can recall a memory from our childhood that was particularly good or bad. What if I told you that that memory probably never happened? We touched on this is class, how memories don't really form until after the age of 3. So it makes sense, then, that memories very close to that age would be distorted, even fake. 

This is because of misattribution. It's kind of like this - We watch a midnight marathon of Spongebob and then when we fall asleep we dream about giant sponges. The same thing happens to childhood memories. We twist them in our head, maybe even dream about being a child. When we recall this, our brain tells us that it happened. The brain simply cannot hold all of the little information about our life, like what day of the week we met the president, or if we met him at all. 

http://www.spring.org.uk/2008/02/how-memories-are-distorted-and-invented.php

9 comments:

  1. So you're telling me that some of my childhood memories could be a lie! Now I'm questioning my memories! Does this only happen with childhood memories or can this still affect our memories now?

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  2. There was an article i once read about a psychologist that experimented with implanting false memories in one of his patients. He actually managed to convince the patient that she'd been in a cult earlier in her life. She thought she had memories of this event because of the implications he gave while asking her questions. This type of experiment became illegal (for obvious reasons) but it goes to show that false memories can be placed in someone's mind.

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  3. What. That makes me question whether all the good memories in my life were true or not! I look back at my childhood as a fun, carefree time but knowing that the memories of my childhood I have may be false makes me wonder what my childhood REALLY was like. I certainly hope that this doesn't affect they memories we have during adolescence.

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  4. This explains a whole lot about my life. My mom always said I had dreamed most of the things I've told her, and I've just assumed she was losing her mind and accepted that fact. Now I'm forced to change my whole perspective. What if I'm the one going crazy? It seems odd that we would vividly remember a dream like that and create it into a full blown memory.

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  5. I remember in Psych last term we talked about memories and how a lot of them haven't really happened like you said. I think this is super crazy because what if everything I thought my childhood was is really made up? Crazy stuff. It's kind of scary to see that our memories are actually very fallible and can be easily manipulated.

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  6. I also think that this is crazy! Memories are a huge part of growing up. I also vaguely remember some parts of some stories and frequently have to have others tell me about it again. People could easily just make them up! WEIRD

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  7. I actually experienced losing my memory (kind of) on my 3rd birthday. After I blew out the candles on my cake it was almost instant. I remembered everything but what happened days before. I also "remember" doing a backflip off my couh at age 3 or 4, but that did not happen.

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  8. I think this is the freakiest thing. I remember on my third birthday I completely forgot everything that happened days before then. I also remember doing a backflip off my couch when I was like 4, but I doubt that happened! I wonder why this happens!

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  9. i have always thought this concept was so interesting! it is crazy how our mind can be so convinced that a memory is real but it doesn't exist at all! My earliest memory is actually fake...I remember being completely alone in our old house crying because i was so afraid to be alone! Dad insists it never happened, but it seems so real in my mind!

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