Determining the Intensity of a Memory :: Biology Essays Research Papers

Determining the Intensity of a Memory Two people can have the same exact experience but remember the event differently. This has always amazed me, especially when I am reminiscing with a friend and our memories of our relationship are slightly different. For example, we went on a road trip to the shore and when I recall the vacation, my first thought is of the car ride and how much fun it was. My friend thinks of our night at Seaside Heights. It isn't that I have repressed the memory of the rickety old rides and carnival games, I just don't think of that part of the vacation first. For some reason, the experience of singing along with our "road trip" cassette tape with our hair blowing in the wind made more of an impression on me. There are obviously different kinds of memories. There are memories concerning facts and figures, learned skills, emotions, faces, survival skills, long term, short term, vacations, etc. All of these types of memories are different for all people, and are different from experience to experience . This is due to the fact that the brain is always changing, and no two situations are identical. This is further clarified by the cliche; "You only get one chance to make a first impression." Once a person has an experience, her brain is permanently altered. Memory is a vast topic and only the very surface will be scratched here. Several areas are mentioned, repressed memories and False Memory Syndrome, and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. These topics enabled me to learn how some memories are purposely "forgotten", how memories effect behavior in the aftermath, and what dictates memory storage. Two structures of the brain linked to memory are the hippocampus and amygdala. Both are discussed with respect to their role in memory storage and what trends are noticed in subjects who are damaged in some manner either by experience or for the purposes of research. All this information is used to address the following question. Why are some experiences remembered so clearly and vividly while others are completely forgotten? As I mentioned above in my personal anecdote, some memories seem to be "at the back of the mind" and are not recalled as strongly as others. Repressed memory is an extreme example of this. The person basically forgets a traumatic experience and this is associated with victims of physical and sexual assault, rape, and other devastatingly traumatic experiences. Determining the Intensity of a Memory :: Biology Essays Research Papers Determining the Intensity of a Memory Two people can have the same exact experience but remember the event differently. This has always amazed me, especially when I am reminiscing with a friend and our memories of our relationship are slightly different. For example, we went on a road trip to the shore and when I recall the vacation, my first thought is of the car ride and how much fun it was. My friend thinks of our night at Seaside Heights. It isn't that I have repressed the memory of the rickety old rides and carnival games, I just don't think of that part of the vacation first. For some reason, the experience of singing along with our "road trip" cassette tape with our hair blowing in the wind made more of an impression on me. There are obviously different kinds of memories. There are memories concerning facts and figures, learned skills, emotions, faces, survival skills, long term, short term, vacations, etc. All of these types of memories are different for all people, and are different from experience to experience . This is due to the fact that the brain is always changing, and no two situations are identical. This is further clarified by the cliche; "You only get one chance to make a first impression." Once a person has an experience, her brain is permanently altered. Memory is a vast topic and only the very surface will be scratched here. Several areas are mentioned, repressed memories and False Memory Syndrome, and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. These topics enabled me to learn how some memories are purposely "forgotten", how memories effect behavior in the aftermath, and what dictates memory storage. Two structures of the brain linked to memory are the hippocampus and amygdala. Both are discussed with respect to their role in memory storage and what trends are noticed in subjects who are damaged in some manner either by experience or for the purposes of research. All this information is used to address the following question. Why are some experiences remembered so clearly and vividly while others are completely forgotten? As I mentioned above in my personal anecdote, some memories seem to be "at the back of the mind" and are not recalled as strongly as others. Repressed memory is an extreme example of this. The person basically forgets a traumatic experience and this is associated with victims of physical and sexual assault, rape, and other devastatingly traumatic experiences.