Content Descriptions (So far)

• Cognitive Psychology: Human Memory
• AS Psychology: The Multi-Store Model of Memory
• Creating False Memories
• Repressed Memories
• HM, The Man with No Memory
• Forgetfulness- 7 types of normal memory problems

• Working Hypothesis 1

The way the human brain interprets memories, may be drastically different than some may believe, without researching the subject closer. The belief that humans are in full control of their ability to store and retrieve memories, is a widely agreed upon notion. The conflicting idea that the brain can often fool us when we’re processing memories, may make humans feel apprehensive and possibly, even skeptical. Humans like to feel in control of their physical actions and mental processes, without disagreement from others. However, professional psychologist trained in the study of the human brain, argue that the mind is a complicated matter. The brain selectively stores information in multiple different ways, and often distorts information before it’s cognitively stored.

• Working Hypothesis 2

A common misconception about psychology is the idea that many of the concepts are “common sense.” However, this belief is proven wrong when researching the topic of memory. Memory may seem like common sense but that’s far from the truth. A person who views the psychological concept of memory as common sense may claim, “If I experienced something, I can remember it years later.” The individual claiming they can recall small details may not know about simple memory problems such as: transience, absentmindedness, blocking, misattribution, suggestibility, information bias, and persistence. These seven memory sins are common errors the human brain makes. It’s counterintuitive to believe that humans often create detailed memories about life experiences that may never have occurred. How can a person swear they’ve experienced something that’s nonexistent?

Topics for Smaller Papers

• Case studies that changed history and the way psychologists around the world view the brain- such as the story of “HM”- The Man with No Memory. I could include similar case studies and experiments and the importance of these research breakthroughs in psychology.
• The different ways our brains can often trick us, such as: transience, absentmindedness, blocking, misattribution, suggestibility, information bias, and persistence. (Mentioned in my hypothesis) I would also provide examples of how the “seven sins of memory” can easily affect anyone.
• I can describe the areas of the brain where memory is stored and the reasons why different information gets placed in each specific area.
• Personal experiences and why traumatic events are often “forgotten.” The ability to write about my own experiences with memory will allow me to elaborate on life events that are meaningful to me. I could provide information on repressed memories.

• Current State of the Research Paper

I found several interesting articles to use for my paper and I’m continuing to look for more sources. I find the concept of memory to be very intriguing, especially because I’m a psychology major. I find the counterintuitive aspects of psychology to be fascinating because it makes people think outside the box, and changes perspectives. However, I’m feeling confused and overwhelmed with the research paper. I read over the example provided and I glanced over other students’ papers, but I wasn’t clear on what the assignment was actually asking for. There’s so much information to process at once. The reason I may be confused is because I’m not use to writing papers step-by-step and the way we’re doing things on the blog. Also, research papers tend to be more difficult than other styles of writing. Many times, there’s multiple paragraphs of directions and I feel like I should easily understand the assignment with the amount of information provided, but it is often challenging to draw a conclusion after reading so much. Sometimes I feel as though, “Where do I begin?” However, I’m looking forward to writing about my exciting topic and I hope I’m following the necessary steps correctly.