Memory and Emotions in Human Beings - Coursework Example

Memory and Emotions in Human Beings It is of crucial significance to that different people may show different types of emotions towards different occasions. In this manner, it is important to understand the meaning of human emotions. Human emotions refer to the responses to stimuli that are associated with physiological changes. These responses to stimuli make a person to act in certain manners. The physiological changes that may be responsible for different emotions in human beings include the increase in pulse rates as well as increase in the temperature of the body (Mather &Sutherland, 1). Moreover, other physiological changes that lead to human emotions include increase or decrease in breathing rates. In this regard, it is of critical significance to note that emotions in human beings can generally be termed as the feelings in human beings that are closely associated with the physical and psychological sensations in the mind and body of an individual. It is of critical significance to note that human emotions have three components. These include the physiological changes, behavioral response as well as the subject of experience. The physiological changes may include things such as increased pulse rates, increase in the body temperature of an individual as well as increase or decrease in the breathing rates of a person. The behavioral aspect of emotion involves the tendency of an individual to continue staying or run away from the cause of such emotions. This defines the response of that person towards such stimuli (Mather &Sutherland, 1). The subjective experience regards things like feelings that a person may have in accordance with the emotional experience. For example, a person may have such feelings of anger, happiness as well as sadness. It is of critical significance to understand the fact that emotions in human beings may be teemed contagious. Emotions can either be negative or positive. Negative emotions result from negative feelings. However, positive emotions result from positive feelings. It is important to note that negative and unpleasant emotions always seem to be more contagious compared to positive or good emotions (Mather &Sutherland, 2). According to a recent study, it was noted that there was a strong correlation between the choice of a person’s dress and their emotional states. This study shows that women who suffered depression were more likely to wear baggy tops, sweatshirts or jeans. However, on the other hands, women who had strong and positive emotions were more likely to wear favorite dresses or jewelry. In this study, it is concluded that women who were facing positive emotions generally looked nicer. There is a strong correlation between human emotions and human memories. The two play critical roles in human beings. However, it is also important to note that human emotions influence human memories in certain manners. The reverse is also true. Human memory can also trigger several emotions in human beings. Before exploring these correlations, it is important to understand the meaning of human memory, its aspects and some of the roles human memory play in human beings. It is of critical significance to acknowledge the fact that human memory can always be a very difficult thing to understand. Human memory may always be associated with forgetfulness, remembrance as well as reflections. Human memory is always the tool that drives almost all events that require that something that had happened in stored in the brain. As such, human memory is an important store of information of the past. Human memory links with the brain in some manner to help in remembering the past history. In this sense, things that had taken place a long time ago are remembered. It is of critical significance to note that human memory can sometimes become very playful. Human memory becomes active right from the childhood stages of individuals. In the childhood stages, human memory always collects minute or very small details of events. However, as one grows to maturity, the memories of such events disappear gradually (Mather &Sutherland, 1). This makes one wonder where such may have disappeared to. However, the fact is that it is the forgetful natures of the human memory that may have been responsible for making such memorable events disappear from the memory’s perspective. It is of crucial significance to highlight the fact that our memory is responsible for making us become whom we really are. This may take the following perspective: memory can make us recall our past events. In this manner, we memory can help us to keep in touch with our past in a very simple way. This makes us feel part and parcel of the past (Mather &Sutherland, 1). Thus, it is of critical significance to note that remembering the past things is very important in the life of human beings. This is because sometimes one may have planned to attend some workshop in the future. In the event the event is forgotten, such a person is most likely not going to attend that workshop event. In this manner, the person my miss the most important things that could have been discussed in the workshop if he fails to attend due to forgetfulness. However, in a situation where the person remembers that such a workshop is there, and must be attended, that person will attend the workshop event. In this manner, he will gain a lot of things from that event that may be very useful in his life. This is the first reason to support the fact that memory makes us the person whom we ought to be. The second thing related to the above is the fact that memory can make us recall where we put our keys of the cars, doors as well as suitcases. This is very important in ensuring that we become whom we are at the most appropriate time, in the most appropriate manner and at the most appropriate place as such, it is important to note that memory is a very important tool in the lives of human beings. In this manner, it is of critical significance to view human memory as a mental filing cabinet, a mental store, or a place in the mind and brain of each individual where important things are stored for future purposes. It is of critical significance to note that human beings always remember emotionally charged events faster than they remember neutral events. In this regard, it is of critical significance to note that it is always very easy for a person to forget neutral events faster. This is because neutral events are always not associated with strong emotions(Mather &Sutherland, 1). As such, they can be easily forgotten. In this respect, it is of critical significance to note the fact that emotionally charged events always last for a very long time in the minds of human beings before they are forgotten. As in the example of tragedies in life, one may take the history behind several incidences of earthquakes, hurricanes and Tsunamis. These are associated with heightened memories and cannot easily be forgotten. In addition, events like death of beloved persons may always trigger high emotions in human beings. Such memories lead to very bad feelings in human beings (Mather &Sutherland, 1). Such feelings are always associated with bad emotions. These memories always last for a very long time in the minds of human beings. Therefore, it is not always easy to forget such emotionally charged events in the lives of human beings. This is one of the correlations that exist between human memory and emotions. A good example showing an emotionally charged event is an occurrence of conflicts involving violence and fighting. Violence always leads to arousal of a person’s emotions. Such events are always very difficult to forget in life. This is well captured in the article “The selective effects of emotional arousal on memory” by Mara Mather and Matthew Sutherland (2012). In the article, it is argued that emotionally arousing events in life for instance watching a comedy skit and videos impact a lot on human memory. On the same note, stress induction also plays a role in modifying human memory in several ways. These memories differ relevant to the nature of the emotion. For instance, memories on neutral stimuli are fast forgotten compared to memories of highly charged emotions from strong stimuli (Mather &Sutherland, 1). It is argued in the article that emotional arousal in human beings results to biased competition in the brain. The arousal-biased competition in the brain also affects the memory of individuals in certain measures. It can lead to forgetfulness of remembrance of such events in future. Memory in human beings act as a store for information from the time they happen until the time the person will need to use those forms of information (Mather &Sutherland, 1). It is of crucial significance to note that the process of memory in human beings is very multifaceted. Memory takes various forms in human beings. In this regard, it is of crucial significance to note that human memory can be vivid. In addition, one of the facts about human memory is that memory can be short lasting. In this way, it means that human memory can last for a very short time depending on the nature, health conditions of the person. For example, the memory status in mad men is always short lasting because of their health condition. On the other hand, it is important to note that human memory can as well be long lasting. This also depends on a number of factors. This may depend on the emotions of human beings as well as the health status of the person. It is critical to note that strong correlations exist between human emotions and human memories. The two play critical roles in human beings. However, it is also important to note that human emotions influence human memories in certain manners. The reverse is also true. Human memory can also trigger several emotions in human beings. One of the correlations between human memory and emotions may be evident when a person faces stressful situations. In case a person becomes stressed, memory can always be lost very easily. Stressful situations are always associated with different kinds of emotions (Mather &Sutherland, 3). Such emotions that can lead to stressful situations may emanate from feelings of sadness, anger, intimidation as well as sorrow. These are all forms of negative feelings. These negative feelings are responsible for causing negative or unpleasant emotions. The unpleasant or negative emotions are responsible for determining the behavior and response that a person shows towards any stimuli. In cases involving bad memories, such stressful situations may always emanate or resurface again. For instance, a person may remember some instances or events in life that were very traumatizing and disturbing in life. The memory of such events may make the person to have very bad feelings. This may make the person to have very bas moods as well. This leads to very negative emotions from that individual. In this case, it is important to note that human emotions and memories are interconnected and inter-related (Mather &Sutherland, 3). Human emotions and memories have certain correlations. Bad memories result to bad emotions in human beings. In connection to the above, it is critical to note that memories are long lasting. Therefore, if a person experiences bad situations at the present time, it is most likely that such a person may remember such occurrences even in future. Since bad experiences and occurrences are always associated with bad emotions, such a person is likely to have bad emotions at the time he is experiencing the bad events (Mather &Sutherland, 4). This means that at the time the person is experiencing those bad events, he may have several feelings of sadness, stress or anger. For example, a person may lose a friend, a relative or somebody whom he shares very close relations. The death of such a person may always lead to several bad feelings in the lives of a person. Such demise is always associated with feelings of anger, sorrow and sadness. This also leads to very bad moods and bad feelings. Since the memory of an individual is long lasting, the person is most likely to remember such occurrences in future. As such, the person may recall the past events concerning the death of his beloved friends or relative. This memory makes the person to have very bad feelings associated with remembering the history of the past. As such, it is important to note that bad memories always manifest into bad emotions even at a later stage in life (Mather &Sutherland, 1). On the same note, good memories are also associated with good emotions in future. A person may face one of the best days in his life. For example, a person may pay a visit to a national park. This is a form of recreation. In this respect, such a person may experience several good things that make him very happy. For instance, seeing several wild animals and getting a lot of knowledge from them may be mentally fulfilling to such an individual. This creates happiness and feelings of joy to the person. In this case, good or positive emotions develop. In this regard, the person may remember such experiences even in future. If the person recalls such experiences in future, he will most likely show feelings of joy and happiness towards such memories. This is one important factor that correlates human memory and emotions. There are several facts behind human memory that are very important to all human beings. The first fact is that memory of human beings does not decay. It is an important fact to acknowledge that human memory has a limitless capacity. Memory can store all information one comes across. However, retrieving such information may be the determinant factor in remembering them. If a person does not repeatedly rehearse such information, memory tends to disappear. In this manner, retrieval of such information becomes very difficult and the person forgets such information. The other important thing to note about human memory is the fact that memory is associated with forgetfulness. Forgetting makes a person to learn. Once a person has forgotten something crucial in his life, he will start thinking of another thing to make him compensate for the one lost in memory. For example, in schools, students are always being taught several subjects. The ability to store all the information, concepts and contents delivered by the teachers and instructors always depends on their memory. In most instances, a number of students always forget what they are taught in class, in this regard, in order for them to recall such things, they must always resort to other alternatives. In this manner, they always revisit their lecture notes and read them. This makes them learn the things that they were taught. Again, some of the students always resort to doing extra studies through conducting online research. This makes them learn new things as well as helps then broaden their understanding. As such, it is of critical significance to note that memory forgetfulness which is associated with human memory makes people to learn. The other fact about human memory is the fact that human memories can always live again. This means that memories can be retrieved and revived. In this regard, it is important to note that information that may have been stored a long time ago, for example, in childhood can still be accessed in adulthood stage. This may involve the common games that people may have been playing in their childhood stages. As such it is critical to note that memory can still live again or can be revived. The other fact about human memories is that recalling memories alters such memories. This means that as we try to recall our past memories, we compare such memories with other recent memories. For example, a person may compare the memories of two important birthday events in his life. One event may have been better than the other event. This makes the memory to become modified, thus altering it. Works Cited Mather, Mara & Sutherland, Mathew. The selective effects of emotional arousal on memory Arousal enhances memory for high priority information, reduces memory for low-priority information.Psychological Science Agenda. 2012. Retrieved from http://www.apa.org/science/about/psa/2012/02/emotional-arousal.aspx on 9 th March 2015. Read More