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Repressed Memories Elizabeth Loftus

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Recalling Episodic Memory Recall is a generative processes rather than simply calling up stored data

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Recalling Episodic Memory Recall is a generative processes rather than simply calling up stored data Evidenced by the fact that episodic memories can be distorted or completely false under certain circumstances

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Recalling Episodic Memory Misinformation Effect - exposure to information subsequent to storage of memory can alter the contents of the memory

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Recalling Episodic Memory Misinformation Effect Consider the following example: Subjects were shown a video depicting a car accident Then given the following question: How fast were the vehicles going when they ______ Different subjects were asked questions that differed in the magnitude of the final word The possible words were: Contacted, Hit, Bumped, Collided, and Smashed

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Recalling Episodic Memory Misinformation Effect Consider the following example: Average estimated velocity depended on the nature of the question

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Recalling Episodic Memory Misinformation Effect Interpretation: Episodic memory can be distorted by subsequent information

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Recalling Episodic Memory False Memories may arise when details of a crime are in question as in eye- witness testimony or repressed memories of abuse during childhood What is the distinction between a false memory and a distorted memory? What do they have in common?

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Derepressed memories Loftus opens with several examples of court cases that involve derepressed memories What is a repressed memory? What is a derepressed memory?

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Loftus position in this article Loftus does not reject the notion of repressed memories 18% - 59% of abuse survivors report having regained access to previously repressed memories

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Loftus position in this article Loftus does not reject the notion of repressed memories 18% - 59% of abuse survivors report having regained access to previously repressed memories What does Loftus challenge?

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Loftus position in this article Loftus does not reject the notion of repressed memories 18% - 59% of abuse survivors report having regained access to previously repressed memories What does Loftus challenge? That all de-repressed memories are accurate memories.

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High Stakes Survivor of real abuse might struggle for years or decades with consequences and need to confront the repressed memory in order to recover emotionally False accusation could tear family apart and send an innocent person to jail

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Whats the issue? What does Loftus express concern about regarding the derepression of memories?

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Whats the issue? What does Loftus express concern about regarding the derepression of memories? reality of the memory is in question if it is recalled under certain circumstances

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Whats the issue? What does Loftus express concern about regarding the derepression of memories? reality of the memory is in question if it is recalled under certain circumstances What is the course of events that Loftus finds worrisome?

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Whats the issue? What does Loftus express concern about regarding the derepression of memories? reality of the memory is in question if it is recalled under certain circumstances What is the course of events that Loftus finds worrisome? Therapist or Popular Book suggests that patient consider possibility of abuse Patient engages in intense effort to recall An explicit episodic memory is achieved This memory might be false!

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Whats the issue? So we potentially have a situation in which someone who is having troubles in life and is seeking answers is told to determine whether or not memories for abuse exist What are some techniques that are used to assist recollection?

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Whats the issue? So we potentially have a situation in which someone who is having troubles in life and is seeking answers is told to determine whether or not memories for abuse exist What are some techniques that are used to assist recollection? hypnosis, imagery, dream analysis, story telling Loftus presents evidence that such processes may lead to invalid memories or overconfidence in the validity of memories

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Conclusion: We cannot know with certainty (without corroborating evidence) whether a derepressed memory is true Therapists should engage in probing this possibility very carefully avoiding suggestive questions remaining unconvinced without corroborating evidence being gently confrontational to encourage patient to consider the possibility that the events didnt happen

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Subconscious Cognition?! What you dont know, might help youor it might not!

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Perception and Cognition We have elaborate perceptual mechanisms to provide information to our brains to guide current or future behavior

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Perception and Cognition We have elaborate perceptual mechanisms to provide information to our brains to guide current or future behavior Notice theres no mention of consciousness

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Perception and Cognition We have elaborate perceptual mechanisms to provide information to our brains to guide current or future behavior Notice theres no mention of consciousness Lots of information gets processed and used by your brain without you noticing

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Perception and Cognition We have elaborate perceptual mechanisms to provide information to our brains to guide current or future behavior Notice theres no mention of consciousness Lots of information gets processed and used by your brain without you noticing Consider some examples

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Blindsight and the Dorsal Stream Lesions (usually due to stroke) in primary visual cortex cause a region of blindness called a scotoma Identified using perimetry X

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Blindsight and the Dorsal Stream Patients with lesions to primary visual cortex occasionally retain some visual abilities: better than chance performance on forced- choice discrimination tasks spatial navigation and coordination (i.e. avoid obstacles, interact with environment)

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Blindsight and the Dorsal Stream Patients with lesions to primary visual cortex occasionally retain some visual abilities: better than chance performance on forced- choice discrimination tasks spatial navigation and coordination (i.e. avoid obstacles, interact with environment) Thought to be because of other backdoor pathways that send signals to the Dorsal Stream, A.K.A the Where and How Pathway

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Blindsight and the Dorsal Stream The Dorsal Stream is thought to mediate much spatial processing and interaction with the environment WHAT WHERE

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Blindsight and the Dorsal Stream The Dorsal Stream is thought to mediate much spatial processing and interaction with the environment But the neural activity in these structures does not (is not alone sufficient to) enter into consciousness

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Object Substitution Masking Masking occurs when one stimulus impairs perception of a nearby stimulus In special cases the stimuli dont have to overlap in space or time!? Object substitution masking occurs when attention cannot select a target object before it vanishes AND A mask is visible at the target location after the target has vanished

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Object Substitution Masking

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Surprisingly, some visual information survives masking Subjects are accurate at reaching to grasp a masked shape even though they cant consciously see it

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Masked Priming Surprisingly even the meaning of visual information can survive some kinds of masking

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Masked Priming S P A M TIME

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XXXXX Masked Priming S P A M TIME

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S P _ _ XXXXX Masked Priming S P A M TIME

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Masked Priming Subject must complete the stem to make any word other than the word that was masked

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Masked Priming Subject must complete the stem to make any word other than the word that was masked Subjects are more likely to use masked wordindicates subconscious influence on behavior

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The Hard Problem Returns MYSTERY: what is special about neural activity that leads to awareness ? NOBODY KNOWS !