francene--blog. Year 2013
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Oct 5th

10/5/2013

 
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Do we tell the truth? Neuroscientists say that many of our daily memories are falsely reconstructed because our view of the world is constantly changing. Human memory constantly adapts and moulds itself to fit the world. Kimberley Wade at the University of Warwick, UK has been studying memory for more than a decade. She has found our imagination can trick us into thinking we've done something we've never really done and lead us to create compelling, illusory memories.

The reason our memories are so malleable, Kimberley Wade explains, is because there is simply too much information to take in. "Our perceptual systems aren't built to notice absolutely everything in our environment. We take in information through all our senses but there are gaps."
When we remember an event, our memory fills in the gaps by using what it knows.


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A study found that participants recall the word sleep with about the same probability that they remember other words from the list opposite.  < ---

Usually, false memories are about everyday situations with no real consequences apart from an occasional disagreement with a friend or partner about trivial things like who said what. For instance, my husband will say he thought of doing something, when I clearly remember making the suggestion.

But sometimes, false memories can have more serious ramifications. For example, if an eyewitness testimony in court contributes to a false conviction. Forensic technology has now led to many such convictions being overturned. The Innocence Project in the US campaigns to overturn eyewitness misidentification and lists all the people who have subsequently been acquitted. The project reports that there have been 311 post-conviction DNA exonerations in the US, which includes 18 people who were sentenced to death before DNA evidence was able to prove their innocence.

Christopher French of Goldsmiths University in London says there is still a lack of awareness of how unreliable human memory is, especially in the legal system.

Some people still believe memory works like a video camera. Others accept the Freudian notion of repression - that when something terrible happens, the memory is stored in the subconscious.


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According to another researcher, the errors the human brain makes can sometimes serve a useful purpose.

Sergio Della Sala, a cognitive neuroscientist at the University of Edinburgh, UK, says it can be thought of in the following way. Imagine you are in the jungle and you see some grass moving. Humans are likely to panic and run away, with the belief that there could be a tiger lurking.

A computer, however, might deduce that 99% of the time, it is simply the wind. If we behaved like the computer, we would be eaten the one time a tiger was present. The brain is prepared to make 99 errors to save us from the tiger. That's because the brain is not a computer. It works with irrational assumptions, is prone to errors, and it needs shortcuts.

However, he assures us that false memories are the sign of a healthy brain. They are a by-product of a memory system that works well. In other words, think fast and use your judgment.


Tania link
10/4/2013 07:49:10 pm

The mind is an amazing thing - who really know what goes on in that incredible creation.

Francene Stanley link
10/5/2013 03:16:59 am

You're right. The mind is beyond fathoming.

MuMuGB link
10/4/2013 08:34:12 pm

I also suppose that if we were remembering everything we would be completely overwhelmed!

Francene Stanley link
10/5/2013 03:18:02 am

My husband remembers a lot more than I do--facts that is. ;-) Not differences of opinion.

Kama link
10/4/2013 08:36:29 pm

Really interesting post. I would say that we also remember past events based on our current perception of our life.

Francene Stanley link
10/5/2013 03:19:03 am

We all see a central fire from a different angle.

Amy link
10/4/2013 10:40:31 pm

Whoa. This explains a LOT . . my hubby and I are always remembering things differently . . . my memory doesn't always match up with his memory, and we both are DOGGONE SURE that our memory is the right one. So. We're both just trying to take in TOO MUCH INFORMATION. Fascinating post, Francene, as always!

Francene Stanley link
10/5/2013 03:20:07 am

I'm glad you have a similar experience. I don't want to think I'm the only one who argues about the truth. ;-)

Alana link
10/5/2013 09:14:34 am

I can't always rely on my memories; I know that for a fact. It's scary when you think about how much our legal systems (in your country and mine both) depend on memory, even in this day of DNA testing. It is reassuring, though, to know that false memories are a sign of a healthy brain.

Francene Stanley link
10/5/2013 07:31:57 pm

I like your roundabout logic. Indeed, it's healthy to imagine, create stories, and read them.


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    Author

    Francene Stanley, author of many published novels. If you like my writing, why not consider purchasing one of my books? You'll see them on the sidebar below.
    Born in Australia, I moved to Britain half way through my long life.

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