Analysis and Review of the Diesel-Roediger-McDermott Paradigm - Essay Example

DRM Deese-Roediger-McDermott Paradigm Introduction The debate about how the human memory works has been a significant concern among many psychologists. This is because thorough comprehension of the brain processes helps psychologists to understand how human beings learn from their environment, and the various processes that influence human behaviour. These emanate from the human consciousness. Various studies about the human brain have elicited many reactions from different schools of thought, which have been at the forefront in explaining how the human brain works. A major facet in the study of the human brain that has been the subject of dispute has been the human thought process, specifically human memory. Psychologists have gone as far as studying the key components of the brain and their respective functions. Moreover, they have been successful in explaining how the many parts of the human brain coordinate their functions to influence human behaviour. However, the cognitive psychologists have identified it as complicated to explain how the brain interprets information to bring a response regarding interaction with external stimuli. Individuals always accept as true that the memory in their brain is an accurate account of past events. However, memory processes are much more complicated than the process of storage and retrieval of information. Memory processes involve complex processes of encoding and restructuring, which can be influenced by many pieces of new and old information also processed in the brain, to give an inaccurate interpretation of a given phenomena. As a result, people tend to rely on previous memories in the recalling of information. The cognitive psychologists have also found it complicated to establish the grounds on which the brain interprets information as true or false. It has been difficult to explain the various relations of organs in the brain, and how they associate to interpret events from the external environment. As a result, cognitive psychologists have formulated many theories and paradigms that try to capture that brain processes and try to explain the various associations that help in the interpretation of true or false information. A popular paradigm used in understanding memories is the Deese–Roediger–McDermott paradigm. This paradigm is used to prove the existence of false memories. The brain’s interpretation of things in a person’s external environment can be influence by false interpretations due to associations made during the interpretation process. In this paradigm, individuals are tested by being given a list of items that are related to a given sample. However, in this situation, the tested example is never included in the list of items that are given to the subjects. The lists of items given to the subjects have a nearly close relationship with the answer to the given test. Through the list given, the subjects are required to identify the answer by forming an association between the items given to arrive at the answer to the test. Therefore, this paradigm explains that individual’s mental associations are affected by previous information contained in their thought processes that lead to false interpretation brought about false memories in the brain (Bryne, 688, 2009). Although many pieces of information pass through the brain at one particular time, it is not satisfactory to conclude that the information is sufficient to influence an individual’s thought process, which can lead to false interpretation of events. It is possible to form an association with information in the brain to give a true interpretation of events. On the other hand, the Deese–Roediger–McDermott paradigm insinuates the possibility of true memories that lead to true interpretations. This can be understood by the various theories that help to give a clear explanation on how individuals tend to forget non-presented target items when given a list of closely associated items (French, 29, 2008). Activation/Monitoring Account Model This is a model proposed to explain how false memories occur in the Deese–Roediger–McDermott paradigm. This model underscores that individuals fail to recall events because of non-presented items in a list of items that are given. Since the items given in a test are closely related to the answer item, the non-presented item is activated by the associations from stimulus on the items that are presented on the list. This leads to activation of this non-presented item in memory of an individual, and eventually it is perceived as presented in the list. As a result, the non-presented item dominates the other items and leads to a false recall. This acts as proof for existence of false memories due to the false interpretation resulting from the thought process. However, the interpretations from such events can also turn out to be positive. The close association of the non-presented item with the items presented to the subjects can lead to a true interpretation if the association formed between the two items is strong enough (Ross, 108, 2012). This depends on the extent of activation of the mental processes and the monitoring process that aids in the elimination of negative associations in the brain. A strong activation would lead to a strong level of association, which influences the mind towards positive association, leading to true memories that guide true interpretations. True interpretations result when the mind is conscious of information passed during the process of restructuring. This is possible when the various monitoring processes are strong enough to eliminate the negative associations that the mind creates to influence false memories, which lead to false interpretations. As a result, its true to contend that the processes of activation and monitoring of information during the thought process is same for both false and true memories and, therefore, the outcome is influenced by these factors (Kormos, 122, 2006). Source Monitoring Framework Cognitive psychologists agree that the brain goes through complex processes during the interpretation of information beyond storage and retrieval. The various processes such as encoding and restructuring can have substantial influences on the information interpreted by the brain. The source-monitoring framework refers to a system put forward by psychologists to help in explaining how individuals differentiate between the sources of information that the brain receives. It emphasises that the source of information used in the process of interpretation may include; the site where an event occurred, the actors in the event and some of their characteristics. This source of information can be either an existent event or an illusory event. It explains the Deese–Roediger–McDermott paradigm by citing that false memories result from the varied sources of information that people receive from interactions with the environment. The sources of information influence an individual’s thoughts, feelings, and images that might influence them to interpret information incorrectly (Belli, 19, 2011). These thoughts and feelings are purported to emanate from perceptual contents that provide clues to influence the different thought processes. The model underscores that sources of information can be proof for the existence of false memories when an individual fails to point different sources to their respective memories. This occurs since the brain goes through different thought processes and has a lot of information passing through it. Therefore, the mind will have pieces of information different from a source or those that may be much clearer in the mind. These might override the actual source leading to a false memory when source monitoring fails. However, even though this models gives difficulty in differentiating sources of information as the primary source of false memories, this problem is not persistent in normal individuals but is more common in those who might have experienced psychological conditions such as Depression or high levels of brain damage. This interferes with the process of encoding information in the brain that might lead to generalizations that influence mind processes leading to false memories. However, accurate identification of information sources is possible when there is no interference with the brain process, which leads to true interpretations, hence true memories (Conway, Gathercole & Cornoldi, 236, 1998). Fuzzy Trace Theory It is agreed by psychologists that the brain carries out several processes that include reasoning, which leads several decision-making processes and judgements based on the situation at hand. This theory emphasises that individuals have trouble in arriving at decisions or judgements about identity or similarity of items, objects or events. The difficulty in arriving at judgements about various phenomena is what leads to false memory, which causes individuals to make false interpretation about phenomena. It is believed that the brain contains two types of memory traces namely verbatim traces and gist traces. The verbatim traces were said to be in control of surface or unsophisticated sensory aspects of experience while that gist’s control some of the complex processes of memory traces that may include interpreting information, elaborations of different experiences, and perceptual meanings. During the process of restructuring information, the brain favours verbatim traces of memory in the interpretation of phenomena instead of gist memory traces. Verbatim memory traces are less durable than gist memory traces. This leads to use of false memories in the interpretation of information (Bartels et al, 209, 2009). Moreover, verbatim memory traces disintegrate faster, and it is easier for individuals to mistake such memories from one source and use them as memories for a different source. This is because the schemas in the brain necessary for encoding information create false memories that are consistent with the schema. However, some false memory is purported to arise when the brain depends on gist memories only. Since the gist memory trace is responsible for complex memory processes, confusion can result when a source of information is confused for another that closely resembles that actual source of information. As a result, the individual is never aware that their statements are inaccurate since they believe that they are sourced from clear and actual information sources in the brain. However, the schemas in the brain assist in the interpretation of information, and the existence of false interpretation is dependent on the possibility of the brain to interpret the information (Schneider & Shanteau, 248, 2003). Signal Detection Theory This theory emphasises that an individual’s behaviour is influenced by circumstances that exist in the environment. The ability to respond to the environment is determined by the capability to respond to various stimuli encountered by the individual in the environment. The theory explains that an individual responds to environmental stimuli depending on the intensity of the stimuli and the physical or psychological state of the individual. This stimuli are accompanied by other stimuli and it is upon the individual to the determine presence or absence of the stimuli (Goldstein, 403, 2010). This theory helps to reinforce the Deese–Roediger–McDermott paradigm, which insists on the existence of false memories by emphasising on the uncertainty of existence of the stimulus. The uncertainty may cause faulty interpretation of the stimulus depending on its intensity, physical or psychological state of the individual. However, the variations in degree of stimuli can help in detecting stimuli and responding to it appropriately leading to a true interpretation, backing the existence of true memories (McNicol, 10, 2004). Conclusion Even as individuals continue to believe that memories offer a true account of past events, Psychologists have proved that memory may contain defects. These imperfections may arise during the processes of restructuring and encoding information in the brain. This is because these two main processes rely on previous knowledge that exists in the brain, which helps in assembling pre-existing information, or new information that enters the brain. As a result, the process of recalling memories make existing memory susceptible to lose, alteration or new memories may be created. Therefore it is difficult to retrieve memory if one has insufficient information about its sources. It was possible to encode and restructure information that might lead to false or truthful interpretation to guide reasoning, which influences judgement on phenomena in the world. Cognitive psychologists who help to explain the existence of false memories in the brain have put various theories forward. The Deese–Roediger–McDermott paradigm explains the existence of false memories by insisting that individuals form strong associations with closely related items at present, which help in arriving at interpretations about the unknown item from the group. The level of activation by the given items and the monitoring level of the brain affect these associations. These might lead to false memories, which cause false interpretations. The activation/monitoring account model accounts for the existence of false memories due to the strong associations that the brain forms between presented and non- presented items in a list. The source-monitoring framework emphasises that false memories exist due to failure of the brain to differentiate between sources of information it receives. On the other hand, the fuzzy trace theory and the signal detection theory explain that false memories occur when the brain fails to arrive at decisions or make judgements about identity or similarity of items or events, and when the uncertainty about a stimulus influences the brain arrive at resolutions depending on the intensity of a given stimulus. The physical and psychological state of the individual may lead to false interpretations whose main cause is false memories. However, the following models explain how false memories are formed in the brain, and how they influence behaviour of an individual in setting. The models refer to how interpretation of information in the brain is influenced by other events. Hence, these events can also lead to a positive interpretation that can guide the formation of true memories in the brain. List of References Bartels, D. M. (2009). Moral Judgment and Decision Making. Amsterdam, Elsevier. Belli, Robert F. (2011). True and False Recovered Memories. Springer, Verlag. Byrne, J. H. (2009). Concise Learning and Memory The Editor's Selection. London, UK, Elsevier/Academic Press. Conway, M.A, Gathercole, S.E, Cornoldi, C. (1998). Theories of Memory: Volume 2. Britain, United Kingdom: Psychology Press. French, R. M., & Thomas, E. A. (2008). Neural Computation and Psychology Workshop: From Associations to Rules: Connectionist Models Of Behaviour and Cognition. Singapore, World Scientific. Goldstein, E. B. (2010). Sensation and Perception. Belmont, Calif, Wadsworth Cengage Learning. Kormos, J. (2006). Speech Production and Second Language Acquisition. Britain, United Kingdom: Routledge Publishers. McNicol, D. (2004). A Primer of Signal Detection Theory. Britain, United Kingdom: Routledge. Ross, B. H. (2012). The psychology of learning and motivation. Volume 56. Oxford, Academic. Schneider, S. L., & Shanteau, J. (2003). Emerging Perspectives on Judgment and Decision Research. Cambridge, Cambridge University Press. Read More