When Memory SinsWhen Memory Sins

Daniel L. SchacterDaniel L. Schacter

Presented by Tonya SlagerPresented by Tonya Slager

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Cognitive neuroscience vs. social Cognitive neuroscience vs. social neuroscienceneuroscience

““Seven sins of memory”Seven sins of memory” Research- examining errors and Research- examining errors and

illusions of memoryillusions of memory

Cognitive Neuroscience & Social Cognitive Neuroscience & Social Neuroscience Neuroscience

Both seek to link levels of analysis- Both seek to link levels of analysis- psychological and biologicalpsychological and biological

Techniques used:Techniques used:• Cognitive and behavioral analysisCognitive and behavioral analysis• Studies of brain-damaged patientsStudies of brain-damaged patients• Functional magnetic resonance imaging Functional magnetic resonance imaging

(fMRI)(fMRI)

DifferencesDifferences

Cognitive neuroscience focus:Cognitive neuroscience focus:• LanguageLanguage• MemoryMemory• Thought regardless of social contextsThought regardless of social contexts

Social neuroscience focus on the Social neuroscience focus on the same areas as well as basic same areas as well as basic psychological processespsychological processes

Attempts to explain the Attempts to explain the psychological and neural basis of psychological and neural basis of social and emotional behaviors in social and emotional behaviors in humans and animalshumans and animals

New multi-level integrative analysis New multi-level integrative analysis approach, rather than solely approach, rather than solely biological or social. biological or social.

““Seven Sins of Memory”Seven Sins of Memory”

First 3: sins of omissionFirst 3: sins of omission Next 3: memory is present, but Next 3: memory is present, but

wrongwrong Final sin: unwanted memories Final sin: unwanted memories

11stst Sin Sin Transcience Transcience

Memories become decreasingly Memories become decreasingly accessible over timeaccessible over time

Ex. No longer remember 3Ex. No longer remember 3rdrd grade grade teachers name at age 50teachers name at age 50

22ndnd Sin SinAbsentmindednessAbsentmindedness

Lapses of attention that result in Lapses of attention that result in forgetting to do thingsforgetting to do things

Ex. Husband “forgets” to do the Ex. Husband “forgets” to do the dishes, walk the dog, wash the car, dishes, walk the dog, wash the car, buy milk, pick the kids up from buy milk, pick the kids up from school, or buy you a card on your school, or buy you a card on your anniversaryanniversary

33rdrd Sin SinBlockingBlocking

Information that has not faded out of Information that has not faded out of memory but is temporarily memory but is temporarily inaccessibleinaccessible

Ex. That word on the tip of your Ex. That word on the tip of your tongue you just can not remember to tongue you just can not remember to save your lifesave your life

44thth Sin SinMisattributionMisattribution

Remember that something happened Remember that something happened to us and attribute the memory to an to us and attribute the memory to an incorrect sourceincorrect source

Ex. Remember that Joe broke up with Ex. Remember that Joe broke up with you in a post-it note but it was really you in a post-it note but it was really BobBob

55thth Sin SinSuggestibilitySuggestibility

Implanted memories that are Implanted memories that are produced by leading questions or produced by leading questions or suggestionssuggestions

Ex. “Didn’t Joe break up with you Ex. “Didn’t Joe break up with you with a post-it note?”with a post-it note?”

Rare cases people will recall Rare cases people will recall traumatic events that never traumatic events that never happened to themhappened to them

66thth Sin SinBiasBias

Current knowledge and beliefs can Current knowledge and beliefs can skew our memoriesskew our memories

““I DID NOT vote Bush for President!”I DID NOT vote Bush for President!”

77thth Sin SinPersistencePersistence

Unwanted memories of difficult or Unwanted memories of difficult or traumatic experiences that can not traumatic experiences that can not be forgottenbe forgotten

In extreme cases it changes the In extreme cases it changes the perception of their world- i.e. war perception of their world- i.e. war veteransveterans

Amnesic SyndromeAmnesic Syndrome

Inability to retain new memories that Inability to retain new memories that can later be recollectedcan later be recollected

Results from damage to the inner or Results from damage to the inner or medial aspects of the temporal lobesmedial aspects of the temporal lobes• hippocampus hippocampus

Research on Amnesic PatientsResearch on Amnesic Patients Lower levels of false recognition to Lower levels of false recognition to

critical attractive words then healthy critical attractive words then healthy participantsparticipants

Lower levels of false recognition to Lower levels of false recognition to attractive items that are related to attractive items that are related to previously studied shapes and previously studied shapes and objects compared to healthy objects compared to healthy participantsparticipants

Again: damage to the medial Again: damage to the medial temporal lobetemporal lobe

ImplicationsImplications

Regions within the medial temporal Regions within the medial temporal lobe, including the hippocampus, are lobe, including the hippocampus, are involved in storing and retrieving involved in storing and retrieving associative information that attribute associative information that attribute to false recognition of critical lures or to false recognition of critical lures or attractive words/objectsattractive words/objects

Research on TranscienceResearch on Transcience

Previously focused on amnesic Previously focused on amnesic patients and those with medial patients and those with medial temporal lobe damagetemporal lobe damage

Recently fMRI’s and healthy Recently fMRI’s and healthy volunteersvolunteers

Focus: initial encoding of information Focus: initial encoding of information into memoryinto memory

ResultsResults At the time of encoding, significant At the time of encoding, significant

activation in the left medial temporal activation in the left medial temporal lobe and several left prefrontal lobe and several left prefrontal regionsregions

Level of activity during encoding Level of activity during encoding determined ability or inability to determined ability or inability to retain informationretain information

Transcience is more likely to occur Transcience is more likely to occur when those areas are not strongly when those areas are not strongly engagedengaged

Research on MisattributionResearch on Misattribution

Large focus placed on false Large focus placed on false recognition- mistakenly claim they recognition- mistakenly claim they have already previously experienced have already previously experienced somethingsomething

Patient B.G.:Patient B.G.:• Falsely recognized words, sounds, etc.Falsely recognized words, sounds, etc.• Lesion to the right frontal lobeLesion to the right frontal lobe

Further ResearchFurther Research

FMR study examined memory for FMR study examined memory for previously encountered wordspreviously encountered words

Remember an item and its sourceRemember an item and its source Small differences in familiar itemsSmall differences in familiar items Right frontal regions Right frontal regions

QUESTIONSQUESTIONS