Psychology is the scientific study of the human mind and its functions, particularly those affecting behavior in a given context. One of the most prevalent functions associated with psychology is memory. Memories are everything; without them society could not function and practically nothing would exist as it does now. Without memory, there would be no such thing as psychology, because no one would remember anything. Nothing could be accomplished in terms of research or progression within society without the human ability to process and store additional information, or any information at all. However, memory does not just affect psychology. It affects everything from bodily functions and primal instincts to survive, to the need for structure and social interaction between humans. If memory were to be taken away, humans would have nothing. Memories are the bits and pieces of information that a person has accumulated, and the brain has stored for further use. The process that is currently understood as making and retaining memories consists of three steps: encoding, storage and retrieval. Encoding is when the brain …show more content…
Each of these have a specific job and place within the brain, and are responsible for processing, encoding, and determining where which of these memories will be stored and where to store them. There are four main parts of the brain that work to control the functions of human memory. The prefrontal cortex, found at the front of the brain near the forehead area, is the portion of the brain that remembers how to do systematic tasks. The cerebellum, which is found at the back of the brain near the base of the head, oversees procedural memories. The hippocampus, located under the cerebral cortex, plays a role in converting information from short to long term memory. Finally, the amygdala is responsible for processing and storing strong emotions such as fear and survival
It is part of the central nervous system, and has nerve fibers that send messages to the brain. Hippocampus: Memory is the main purpose of the hippocampus. It allows us to story long-term and permanent memories. Pituitary Gland:
Each person's memories are unique to each individual. There are specific regions in the brain that hold memories: the hippocampus, the neocortex, and the amygdala. These areas of the brain are responsible for the storage and retrieval of memory. Many psychologists used the terms “hardware” and “software” to describe the brain's memory system. Long-term memory includes memories of personal life events, facts, and information.
The Brain Memory is made up of multiple systems that help create, store, and recall your memories. They often work together in unison, but if you are under stress, like during a test, it may be harder to recall. There are many different parts of your brain that help you remember things, these include the amygdala and the hippocampus. The amygdala plays a prominent role in the brain when it processes a memory of emotional reactions or social behavior.
“Experts call this consolidation, and it’s important for protecting against further information loss as well as boosting your ability to learn while you’re awake.” Storing important memories is another task that the brain takes on. Our brain chooses memories that it thinks are most important to us and intensifies those experiences in our mind. While the brain is
1) Define psychology and trace its historical development. Psychology is the scientific research of the study of the human and animal behavior and mentalities. So in general the study is about how, what and why the human brain functions the way they do. As well as why mental illnesses exist.
Parts of the brain and their functions: the frontal brain with controls the higher mental processes. The midbrain, which controls emotions, motivations and the limbic system. The hindbrain which controls movement, and lower mental functions. 3. Split brain: when the corpus callosum is split it destroys the connection between the left and right side of the brain.
This is what other researchers have thought of too, and therefore a conclusion was made that additional processes have been taking place as well. Another strength is that there is neuropsychological evidence for this model as a patient, HM (Milner, 1966) underwent surgery which impaired his hippocampus and in turn affected his long-term memory as it no longer functioned properly, whereas his short-term memory was rather functional. Due to this we can conclude that these two processes are involved in the process of memory, as one of the stores was affected when the brain was damaged but the other was not (Baddeley, 2009).
To start with the basis of understanding the memory, one must know that memories are stored in the hippocampus and prefrontal cortex. In a recent fMRI (functional magnetic resonance imaging) study over the past decade, researchers found that the hippocampus and prefrontal cortex have decreased in activity. The memory is a constructive surface and not so much reproductive. It can be distorted by being influenced by bias, association, imagination and peer pressure. As one goes to recall an event, the brain will now associate that memory with what is happening around them at the time of the recall.
The biological approach to the basis of memory is explained in terms of underlying biological factors such as the activity of the nervous system, genetic factors, biochemical and neurochemicals. In general terms memory is our ability to encode, store, retain and recall information and past experiences afterwards in the human brain. In biological terms, memory is the recreation of past experiences by simultaneous activation or firing of neurons. Some of the major biopsychological research questions on memory are what are the biological substrates of memory, where are memories stored in the brain, how are memories assessed during recall and what is the mechanism of forgetting. The two main reasons that gave rise to the interest in biological basis of memory are that researchers became aware of the fact that many memory deficits arise from injuries to the brain.
Watching the Neuroscience of Memory video with Eleanor Maguire I learned more clearly how to perceive and recollect visual scenes. One is given a three second countdown before seeing 2 pictures of the same objects divided by a mash and the challenge was to identify whether the second picture had the same view as the first or whether it moved closer. Our brains are able to travel through time and space, recall places of significance, images, and emotions of past experiences. By virtue of this factor we fear the prospect of memory loss. Many areas of the brain are involved in memory, but one of the most critical components is the hippocampus which can play a crucial role in the formation of long- term memories.
5.1 Introduction In the brain, the hippocampus is involved in directing the process of creating, systematising and retaining memories. The hippocampus is widely connected to the dorso medial nuclei of the thalamus, mammillary nuclei of the hypothalamus, limbic system network for learning and continuous action for long-term storage. The hippocampus brings about the representation of spatial and temporal memories (Eichenbaum et al, 1992). The research about cognitive function of the hippocampus suggests that selective lesions of the hippocampus will produce a deficit in learning or exploration of a new environment. In the hippocampus memory, related information passes through various regions like cornu ammonis (CA) and dentate gyrus (DG).
One famous case of amnesia supporting Squire's view is patient H.M. (Scoville & Milner, 1957), who had parts of his left and right temporal lobe, hippocampus, amygdala and surrounding areas of both removed. He developed severe anterograde amnesia, the inability to learn new information, resulting in an almost completely absent short-term memory storage. He also had moderate retrograde amnesia, unable to remember information between 3 to 11 years prior to his surgery, but with other long-term memories unaffected. Explaining this, Squire argued that memories are consolidated in the hippocampus, easily disrupted by trauma during this. They become less dependent on the hippocampus with time, eventually being stored in the neocortex (Alvarez &
Psychology is defined as “the scientific study of the mind and behavior” (Introduction to Psychology, 2015). Psychology provides an overview of biology and behavior, sensation and perception, learning, memory, intelligence, language, motivation, emotion, abnormal psychology, and therapy (PSY 102 Course Syllabus, 2018, pg 1). Because psychology allows for a better understanding of how the mind and body work, this knowledge can be beneficial for any field of study or career. The theoretical and practical understanding of the basics of psychology can help with decision-making, critical thinking, stress management, time management, better understanding of others, improving communication, and even achieving goals and objectives, all components that allow someone to be more successful throughout their life. Throughout this course I hope to gain a greater understanding of historical and theoretical perspectives of human behavior and development (PSY 102 Course Syllabus, 2018, pg 2).
Until recently the construction and processes involved in storing and retrieving memories has been misinterpreted by many . Memories can affect the way in which we percieve ourselves as well as our environment and have been connected to our emotional well being through the impact that negative memories can have on one’s state of mental health (Roediger & McDermott, 1995). Therefore it is imperitive that humans strive to understand how the memory works and avoid viewing it as a fixed process that can not be influenced by external factors (Roediger & McDermott, 1995). In a recent study it was discovered that memories can be altered as they are stored in the brain creating an incorrect account of the recollection of that memory. According to (Loftus