Memory mainpulation
OA Version
Citation
Abstract
Basic memory is thought to operate in a 3-step process. First, the memory is encoded by converting sensory information into mental representations. The encoded information then relies on the hippocampus in order to be converted and stored as a long term memory. Lastly, we use retrieval to pull out information stored in memory. It may seem like a straightforward process, but scientists have been struggling to figure out where in this 3-step process an error resulting in false memories occurs. False memories are memories of things that never happened, even though we are certain of them happening in real life. For instance, our brains have the amazing ability of repressing a memory of a traumatic event. However, upon recollection of the repressed memory, our brains often alter the memory in a way that prevents us from fully reliving the traumatic event.