The ability to remember events and occasions is important in the life of a human being. Through memories, a man is able to recall where he placed a certain item, what went on in a particular day, and where he was on a certain date. Court proceedings depend on the ability of the accused and the offended to remember things as they happened.
However, some memories are said to be false. It means that one can remember something that did not exist. This paper is aimed at addressing false memories by giving instances where such memories can occur. Care for the aged will be used as a practical example of how false memories can be costly and present a difficult situation that is hard to deal with.
Cognitive Underpinnings of False Memory
According to Schacter (1999), memories depend on the functioning of the frontal systems. The researcher says that one is bound to have good memories when frontal systems are in a good condition. On the other hand, a breakdown in the frontal systems contributes to false memories (Schacter, 1999). Therefore, it is prudent to adhere to practices that will ensure that the frontal systems are in good conditions if one is to avoid false memories. There are a number of factors that contribute to the breakdown of the frontal systems, as revealed by Gallo (2004). These factors include multiple tasks, aging, and frontal damage.
The number of tasks that an individual is presented with might contribute to the breakdown in the frontal system (Gallo, 2004). If the tasks are few, then there is less likelihood that the person will have false memories (Zald, 2003). This is attributed to the fact that a person will concentrate more on the task that he is doing if he has no other distraction. It means that he is able to remember what, where, and when he did something on a particular day.
On the other hand, there is a high likelihood that a person will experience false memories when they are presented with multiple tasks (Dodson & Schacter, 2001). Such a person will not have total attention to any of the tasks because he will be worried about the other pending tasks. Therefore, it is recommended that human beings attend to one task at a time to reduce the possibility of having false memories (Dolcos, Labar & Cabeza, 2004).
Age is another factor that contributes to false memories (Whittlesea, 2002). Young people, especially the teens, are active and jovial most of the times. They do not have many worries like the old people (Wiggs & Martin, 1998). Therefore, their frontal systems are more active and healthier. The possibility of such people having false memories is slim, as reported by Fabiani, Stadler and Wessels (2000).
On the contrary, old people are not as active and jovial as young people. They are worried about the unachieved goals that they had when growing up (Dolcos et al., 2004). A majority of them battle with various ailments that are associated with aging (Elias & Perfetti, 1973). The possibility of their frontal systems breaking is very high; thus, they are more prone to having false memories than any other group of people (Lacy & Stark, 2013).
According to Stark (2014), the damage to the frontal system is a significant contributor to false memories. People who have been involved in a form of accident that injured the head are likely to have interfered with their frontal system as well (Fabiani et al., 2000). It means that there is a high probability of a person who was involved in an accident having false memories than those who have not been involved in accidents.
Stark (2014) reveals that sportsmen such as boxers are likely to have false memories. This is attributed to the fact that boxers are hit severally in the head; thus, their frontal systems are disrupted. According to Doerksen and Shimamora (2001), such sportsmen should undergo therapies once they retire from their careers, lest they experience false memories many times.
Common Instances of Lapses in Memories
Lapses in memories have been reported in a variety of examples. According to Gleaves, Smith, Butler, and Spiegel (2004), court cases have been a major contributor to lapses in memories. The magnitude of questions that court prosecutors and lawyers subject the accused, as well as the offended persons in court presents a situation of fear and confusion among the persons being questioned. As a result, false memories are created in the minds of those questioned in an effort to answer the questions (Gleaves et al., 2004).
The situation becomes worse to the extent that the accused or the offended do not substantiate between the memory that is true and one that is false. Cases of trauma contribute significantly to lapses in memory, as described by Bartholomew (2001). Individuals who have been exposed to a traumatising experience have their memories interfered with; thus, it is possible to have lapses in memory. There is the need to treat traumatised individuals with caution, given that there is a possibility of the individuals experiencing a false memory.
Gleaves et al. (2004) say that trauma causes damage to the frontal systems. As a result, the traumatised individuals tend to have lapses in their memories. One common contributor of trauma is sexual abuse, as explained by Bartholomew (2001). Sexually harassed victims are normally traumatised by the events that led to the harassment.
This has been manifest even in court proceedings, where there have been contradictions in the way sexually abused victims give their narrations. According to Gleaves et al. (2004), perpetrators of sexual abuse have also been reported to experience lapses in memory. This could be attributed to the fact that such people were not in their correct state of mind when carrying out the offence.
Study of the False Memory in relation to Normal Memory Processes
According to Bartholomew (2001), there is a close relationship between false memories and the basics of how the normal memory processes work. Bartholomew (2001) admits that the distortion of the memory contributes to how well a person will remember things. A non-distorted memory will tend to function normally, as indicated by Bartholomew (2001). A calm mind will shift its focus on what is going on at the current moment. This translates to a situation where the memory will function to near normal.
A distorted memory will have problems trying to relate the present with the past. In effect, this will present a situation where the memory gives false accounts. There are various qualitative attributes that determine the performance of them memory, admit Gleaves et al. (2004). The experiences that the mind has gone through will determine the performance of the memory.
Zald (2003) says that experiences that a person has been exposed to in life should translate to true memories. However, memory will mainly be dictated by several other factors. According to Gallo (2004), emotions tend to influence the functioning of the memory. A person who is able to control his emotions will have a better memory than a person who is always carried away by emotions, admits Gallo (2004).
Knowledge and beliefs influence the ability of memories to function properly (Fabiani et al., 2000). Knowledge is connected to what a person knows about the topic under consideration. Beliefs are related to what other people will say about the same topic (Fabiani et al., 2000). The validity of the given memory will, thus, be subjected to the knowledge available and the beliefs that are associated with the issue under question. The goals of an individual will also have an impact on the memory of such a person.
Topics within a person’s goals will be remembered more than events outside human goals (Dolcos et al., 2004). This is evident more among academicians and researchers. A researcher who is more involved with the functioning of the brain will be in a better position to exercise their memory and remember several issues that are associated with memory loss.
On the contrary, a scientist who is more involved in entomophagy, for example, will have difficult times in contributing to memory loss (Dolcos et al., 2004). In addition, a human’s ability to remember will be determined by the evidence provided. A picture of an event will aid in the memory of the exact occasion. The props that were used in a particular event will contribute significantly to the memory of such an event (Whittlesea, 2002). Truly, the human memory is determined by a variety of factors.
On the other hand, memory can be trusted in some cases. For example, the memory can be trusted when the evidence on how a certain event occurred. In addition, our beliefs and culture can be used to ascertain whether the memory is to be trusted or not. Memory that is accurate is to be trusted. This is attributed to the fact that the life of a human being needs to rely on the past occurrences, which can be authenticated by our memory (Gayle, 1991). If used carefully, the memory can be of good use to the life of every human being.
Impacts of False Memories in Aged Care
According to Schacter, Koutsaal, and Norman (1997), there is a tendency of the older people to give false information as compared to young people. This is attributed to the distortions in the minds of the older people, where they tend to mix perceived and imagined information with the actual experience. Schacter et al. (1997) admit that older people are more likely to give information on accounts that never existed.
This makes it difficult to believe the information given by the older people. Lacy and Stark (2013) admits that the inability to believe old people have resulted in situations where the old are not taken seriously, even when giving true information. The situation is even worse in giving care to the aged. The fact that an old patient has been giving false statements makes it difficult to believe when the same patient is giving true information (Stark, 2014). This could be detrimental to the health of such patient as care might not be availed to him as he requires.
Several studies have been carried on memory loss, as well as false memory of the older people. Most of such studies have proven the fact that old people are more likely to give false memories as a result of distortion and a breakdown in their frontal systems (Wiggs & Martin, 1998). In addition, the ability to recall and recognise various events is weaker in older people than it is in the younger generation.
The ability of the elderly to imagine and relate their imaginations to real life examples is very low. This has been confirmed by Zald (2003), who reports that a majority of the older people cannot relate given pictures to other related objects. This is contrary to what happens in the young people who are able to associate given pictures with any related objects (Doerksen & Shimamora, 2001). Therefore, it is evident that the old should be handled with care, taking into consideration that they are more prone to memory loss and false memories as a result (Wheeler et al., 2000).
Conclusion
A false memory is associated with the distortions of the mind. A breakdown in the frontal system contributes to a person giving false memory. Some of the contributing factors to frontal system damage include a person handling multiple tasks, advancement in age, and accidents that cause damage to the frontal systems located in the head. Instances where false memories have been exhibited include court cases, incidents causing trauma, and sexual abuse.
Persons who have been traumatised or sexually abused tend to give contradicting accounts, which are as a result of the combinations of their imagined and real events. The older people are more prone to false memories than the younger people. They are normally unable to relate pictures with real situations, which translate to a situation where their imagination is weak. Reports from several studies prove that older people have difficulties in organising their memories, leading to their increased likelihood of giving false memories.
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