Wednesday, February 9, 2011

Source Update - Description

Source: Directed Forgetting and Aging: The Role of Retrieval Processes, Processing Speed, and Proactive Interference

IN THIS PSYCHOLOGY Press scholarly article, psychologists relay the results of their studies on the differences of the DF (directed forgetting) effect between elderly persons and younger persons. DF is defined as the deliberate attempt to limit the future expression of specific memory contexts. Two main processes are involved in the results of the DF effect: selective rehearsal and attentional inhibition. 

ONE DAILY PROCESS of humans is to 'update' our memory. This means that we are constantly forgetting things we encounter throughout the day so we don't overload our working memory. Working memory is the memory system used for holding and manipulating information while various mental tasks are carried out. 

ONE OF THE defining aspects constructing memory is retrieval. It is believed that the DF effect is due to differences in retrieval processes, more specifically the differences between automatic (familiar-based) retrieval and intentional (recollective-based) retrieval. "In comparison to young subjects, older subjects have a reduced DF effect when instructions are given after word presentation." 

-- This article goes on to further explain the DF effect and its differences between persons of different ages. Further yet, these Psychologists work to discover how factors such as short term memory capacity, processing speed, thought suppression abilities, and proactive interference play into the differences in experiences between the elderly and the youth.

  • I believe this article will be very fitting for my research paper as it adds an interesting approach to our ideas of forgetting. More often than not, we tend to think about 'forgetting' as being unintentional. However, this is not always the case. In fact, we intentionally forget things everyday so as to update, or refresh, our minds to keep up with our lives. Further still, I found it interesting that the article goes on to explain/question how (and why) aging affects these 'forgetting episodes.'



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