Repression is difficult to study under laboratory conditions. Non-experimental evidence where adults recover repressed memories of childhood abuse exists but there is controversy as some argue that the "memories" are false. Andrews et al. (1999) looked at reports of recovered memories from 236 therapy patients. 41% reported corroborative evidence.
* Is the sample representative? Induction or inductive reasoning, sometimes called inductive logic, is the process of reasoning in which the premises of an argument are believed to support the conclusion but do not ensure it. It is used to ascribe properties or relations to types based on tokens (i.e., on one or a small number of observations or experiences); or to formulate laws based on limited observations of recurring phenomenal patterns. Deductive reasoning is dependent on its premises. That is, a false premise can possibly lead to a false result, and inconclusive premises will also yield an inconclusive conclusion.
This assumption can help to explain how traumatic childhood events can lead to further psychological issues as adults. In some cases people may be consciously unaware of early experiences that caused discomfort due to the development of defence mechanisms. Defence mechanisms are a way in which the mind can cope with distressful experiences; it does this by repressing the memories so that even
On the credit side, the converging of amnesic research and normal memory processes and that analysis of amnesia in terms of hypothesis arising from normal memory research may more rapidly illuminate the nature of the defect. On the debit side however, the controversial character of modern theories of normal memory presents problems when concepts derived from these theories are used in attempts to explain the many different forms of amnesia. Since amnesia involves the lack of memory recollection, though the fact itself may be remembered, it would expect the occurrence of amnesia prominently with pre-mature, deteriorated, or damaged neurological centers for episodic memory (Lee A. C. 2002). Tags: amnesia essay, amnesia research paper, amnesia research paper example, amnesia research paper sample, amnesia term
Trace decay theory states forgetting occurs as a result of the automatic decay or fading of this memory trace in the brain. The theory is based upon the limited duration of STM and tries to explain why forgetting increases with time – unless the information is passed onto LTM via rehearsal it will decay over a very short period of time (15-30 seconds). Trace decay theory provides a simple explanation of forgetting from STM. It seems plausible to suggest that information may decay from memory as time passes unless it is processed/rehearsed in some way. However, trace decay theory is very difficult to test.
Declarative memory is a memory for specific information or facts, which can be sub-divided into Semantic storage for language and general knowledge. This is the kind of memory that is tested in experimental work. The other sub-division is Episodic which is storage for personal events and people. This memory may not be reliable because of memory distortions. In 2000 Schachter et al.
What’s Wrong with This Picture? Psychologist at times will use a test call the Rorschach Inkblot Test to assess personality and mental illnesses of people. This has been found to be an inaccurate way to test people for mental illness. The test consists of 10 cards with inkblots on them. They are shown to people and they must respond with what they see.
This explanation seems satisfying at first glance, then again a dilemma surfaces; as what was raised by Garver and Lee on chapter 2. If false propositions are false because there are no existing reality that correlates to them, why is it that we are still able to understand the meaning behind them (Garver & Lee, 1994:16)? If there is no John in the classroom, why is it that we are still able to come up with a corresponding meaning, such as the informant lying or is ignorant of the fact that there is no John in the classroom? From what I understand from the challenge of false proposition is it brings about the necessity to come up with criteria of truth and meaning because the challenge seems to imply that false proposition could also elicit the characteristic of having meaning. 1 What I mean by this is the material world as opposed to the intellectual world.
An unconscious person mind is thought to still have drives, urges and instincts that we cannot control unless we are conscious. The unconscious mind is thought to motivate our words, actions and feelings without us knowing or understanding what we sometimes say, act or feel. Some psychologists think that dream, forgetfulness and a slip-of-the-tongue are explained by our unconsciousness. A preconscious mind can suppress some thoughts or behaviors but can recall the functions rapidly and become conscious thoughts and behavior. Some thoughts and behaviors may cause a person some discomfort and are suppressed into the unconscious as not to cause anxious feels when they are recalled to the conscious mind.
Short term memory is stored and retrieved sequentially. Long term memory is stored and retrieved by association. Information can be organized in sequences to help aid retrieval. Many memory experiments have been criticized for the settings and the tasks are a long way from everyday activities and life. Low ecological validity plays a big role in the criticism of memory experiments, how can an experiment be realistic if the setting is in a laboratory?