W4a1 forgetting - Assignment Example

Forgetting" Affiliation: How do you define or interpret the term “forget?” Forgetting is failure to retrieve information that is already encoded and stored in the long term memory or loss of the memory already stored in long term memory. In the first definition, the information one is seeking is still in the long term memory but one cannot simply find the exact location the information is stored and may remember it soon. In the second case, the information is already lost. This can happen if the information was interfered with either through confusion or combination with other information or as a result of decay of that memory (Mayer-Schonberger, 2011).

What, in your opinion, are the reasons for you to forget or fail to remember important information? When you forget, is it forever? If not, how long is the “amnesia?”Forgetting sometimes is caused by storing the information in the unconscious where one does ever want to remember it maybe because of the negative reactions or repercussions it caused. Sometimes one forgets because the brain is simply too busy with other information and thoughts and the information being sought is insignificant or during its storage, it was not considered that important.

Being nervous is another reason that may cause temporary forgetfulness for example during examinations or interviews but it comes back when one relaxes. Sometimes the information being forgotten is not forever as in the scenario mentioned above. The information forgotten can also reappear with stimulation such as photo among other stimulants or even through hypnotherapy in extreme cases. The period of forgetting is not definite and hence no specific timeline allocated. What, in your opinion, are the reasons for you to misremember information?

Misremembering is not the same as forgetting because in this case one remembers information but it turns out it is not the correct information. This may be knowingly or unknowingly. Unknowingly, the reason for misremembering is caused by wrong sensory input which leads to wrong information being retrieved. Lack of attention during the information input or retrieval may also cause information to be misremembered as attention is divided. When an individual is in a dangerous situation, anxiety kicks in and misremembering is the resultant of that.

Extreme fear may cause a person to misremember information which happens almost unconsciously and the correct information may not be retrieved until the person is in a relaxed mood or context. What factors play an important role in modifying or creating false memories?The first is incriminating evidence with corroboration from another person about the memory which ultimately leads the individual to modify the true memory to a false one. There is also the issue of social demands on the individual to remember in cases where the true memory has been forgotten.

This pressure leads to creation of a false memory to ease the demands. Imagination of events also leads to creation of false memory. This is not only present in children but some adults as well imagine events and tell them as the truth (Bjorklund, 2000). How good are you at judging the accuracy of your own memories? Is metamemory impacted by the type of memory in question (personal, professional, or technical)?An individual is not always certain of the accuracy of his or her own memory. Other than biasness, the individual’s judgment may be affected by forgetfulness, misremembering among other factors.

Judgment is therefore dependent on some forms of aid. Yes metamemory is impacted by the memory in question. In personal memory for example, the metamemory is higher as the introspection and knowledge is known almost a hundred percent of it. When it comes to technical information, a lot of aid is needed to jolt the memory to remember and even in this case, not all the memory can be remembered or is correct. The same is the case with the memory about one’s professional field (Dunlosky and Bjork, 2013).

ReferencesBjorklund, D. (2000). False-memory Creation in Children and Adults: Theory, Research, and Implications. New Jersey: Taylor& Francis. Dunlosky, J. and Bjork, R. (2013). Handbook of Metamemory and Memory. Washington DC: Psychology Press. Mayer-Schonberger, V. (2011). Delete: The Virtue of Forgetting in the Digital Age. New Jersey: Princeton University Press.