How Does Memory Affect Psychology?

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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

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