Human Memory and Material Memory


Book Description

This book investigates the fascinating concept of a continuum between human memory and memory of materials. The first part provides state-of-the-art information on shape memory alloys and outlines a brief history of memory from the ancient Greeks to the present day, describing phenomenological, philosophical, and technical approaches such as neuroscience. Then, using a wealth of anecdotes, data from academic literature, and original research, this short book discusses the concepts of post-memory, memristors and forgiveness, highlights the analogies between materials defects and memory traces in the human brain. Lastly, it tackles questions of how human memory and memory of materials work together and interact. With insights from materials mechanics, neuroscience and philosophy, it enables readers to understand and continue this open debate on human memory.




Memory and Material Culture


Book Description

We take for granted the survival into the present of artifacts from the past. Indeed the discipline of archaeology would be impossible without the survival of such artifacts. What is the implication of the durability or ephemerality of past material culture for the reproduction of societies in the past? In this book, Andrew Jones argues that the material world offers a vital framework for the formation of collective memory. He uses the topic of memory to critique the treatment of artifacts as symbols by interpretative archaeologists and artifacts as units of information (or memes) by behavioral archaeologists, instead arguing for a treatment of artifacts as forms of mnemonic trace that have an impact on the senses. Using detailed case studies from prehistoric Europe, he further argues that archaeologists can study the relationship between mnemonic traces in the form of networks of reference in artifactual and architectural forms.




Human Memory


Book Description

This book provides a complete survey of research and theory on human memory in three major sections. A background section covers issues of the history of memory, and basic neuroscience and methodology. A core topics section discusses sensory registers, mechanisms of forgetting, and short-term/working, nondeclarative, episodic, and semantic memory. Finally, a special topics section includes formal models of memory, memory for space and time, autobiographical memory, memory and reality, and more. Throughout, the author weaves applications from psychology, medicine, law, and education to show the usefulness of the concepts in everyday life and multiple career paths. Opportunities for students to explore the assessment of memory in laboratory-based settings are also provided. Chapters can be covered in any order, providing instructors with the utmost flexibility in course assignments, and each one includes an overview, key terms, Stop and Review synopses, Try it Out exercises, Improving Your Memory and Study in Depth boxes, study questions, and Putting It All Together and Explore More sections. This text is intended for undergraduate or graduate courses in human memory, human learning and memory, neuropsychology of memory, and seminars on topics in human memory. It can also be used for more general cognitive psychology and cognitive science courses. New to this edition: - Now in full color. - More tables, graphs, and photos to help students visualize concepts. -Improving Your Memory boxes highlight the practical aspects of memory, and Study in Depth boxes review the steps of how results were constructed. -The latest memory research on the testing effect, the influences of sleep, memory reconsolidation, childhood memory, the default mode network, neurogenesis, and more. -Greater coverage of neuroscience, fMRIs, and other recent advances such as NIRS and pupilometry. -A website at www.routledge.com/cw/radvansky with outlines, review points, chapter summaries, key terms with definitions, quizzes, and links to related websites, videos, and suggested readings for students as well as PowerPoints, multiple-choice and essay questions, discussion questions, and a conversion guide for current adopters for instructors.




Human Memory


Book Description

After a historical overview, this text emphasizes the relationships among research, data, and theory in the field of memory, and covers areas including sensory memory, amnesia, and memory development.




Human Memory


Book Description

While memory research has recently focused on brain images and neurological underpinnings of transmitters, Human Memory: A Constructivist View assesses how our individual identity affects what we remember, why and how. This book brings memory back to the constructivist questions of how all the experiences of an individual, up to the point of new memory input, help to determine what that person pays attention to, how that information is interpreted, and how all that ultimately affects what goes into memory and how it is stored. This also affects what can be recalled later and what kind of memory distortions are likely to occur. The authors describe constructionist theories of memory, what they predict, how this is borne out in research findings, presenting everyday life examples for better understanding of the material and interest. Intended for memory researchers and graduate level courses, this book is an excellent summary of human memory research from the constructivist perspective. - Defines constructivist theory in memory research - Assesses research findings relative to constructivist predictions - Identifies how personal experience dictates attention, interpretation, and storage - Integrates constructivist based findings with cognitive neuroscience




Human Memory


Book Description

Human Memory: Structures and Images offers students a comprehensive overview of research in human memory. Providing a theoretical background for the research, author Mary B. Howes uses a clear and accessible format to cover three major areas—mainstream experimental research; naturalistic research; and work in the domains of the amnesias, malfunctions of memory, and neuroscience.




Lifespan Development of Human Memory


Book Description

An original approach to memory development that views memory as a continuous process of growth and loss over the human lifespan rather than as a series of separate periods. Until recently, the vast majority of memory research used only university students and other young adults as subjects. Although such research successfully introduced new methodologies and theoretical concepts, it created a bias in our understanding of the lifespan development of memory. This book signals a departure from young-adult-centered research. It views the lifespan development of memory as a continuous process of growth and loss, where each phase of development raises unique questions favoring distinct research methods and theoretical approaches. Drawing on a broad range of investigative strategies, the book lays the foundation for a comprehensive understanding of the lifespan development of human memory. Topics include the childhood and adulthood development of working memory, episodic and autobiographical memory, and prospective memory, as well as the breakdown of memory functions in Alzheimer's disease. Of particular interest is the rich diversity of approaches, methods, and theories. The book takes an interdisciplinary perspective, drawing on work from psychology, psychiatry, gerontology, and biochemistry.




Human Memory


Book Description

First Published in 1976. Routledge is an imprint of Taylor & Francis, an informa company.




Early Evolution of Human Memory


Book Description

This work examines the cognitive capacity of great apes in order to better understand early man and the importance of memory in the evolutionary process. It synthesizes research from comparative cognition, neuroscience, primatology as well as lithic archaeology, reviewing findings on the cognitive ability of great apes to recognize the physical properties of an object and then determine the most effective way in which to manipulate it as a tool to achieve a specific goal. The authors argue that apes (Hominoidea) lack the human cognitive ability of imagining how to blend reality, which requires drawing on memory in order to envisage alternative future situations, and thereby modifying behavior determined by procedural memory. This book reviews neuroscientific findings on short-term working memory, long-term procedural memory, prospective memory, and imaginative forward thinking in relation to manual behavior. Since the manipulation of objects by Hominoidea in the wild (particularly in order to obtain food) is regarded as underlying the evolution of behavior in early Hominids, contrasts are highlighted between the former and the latter, especially the cognitive implications of ancient stone-tool preparation.




Memory and Movies


Book Description

How popular films from Memento to Slumdog Millionaire can help us understand how memory works. In the movie Slumdog Millionaire, the childhood memories of a young game show contestant trigger his correct answers. In Memento, the amnesiac hero uses tattoos as memory aids. In Away from Her, an older woman suffering from dementia no longer remembers who her husband is. These are compelling films that tell affecting stories about the human condition. But what can these movies teach us about memory? In this book, John Seamon shows how examining the treatment of memory in popular movies can shed new light on how human memory works. After explaining that memory is actually a diverse collection of independent systems, Seamon uses examples from movies to offer an accessible, nontechnical description of what science knows about memory function and dysfunction. In a series of lively encounters with numerous popular films, he draws on Life of Pi and Avatar, for example, to explain working memory, used for short-term retention. He describes the process of long-term memory with examples from such films as Cast Away and Groundhog Day; The Return of Martin Guerre, among other movies, informs his account of how we recognize people; the effect of emotion on autobiographical memory is illustrated by The Kite Runner, Titanic, and other films; movies including Born on the Fourth of July and Rachel Getting Married illustrate the complex pain of traumatic memories. Seamon shows us that movies rarely get amnesia right, often using strategically timed blows to the protagonist's head as a way to turn memory off and then on again (as in Desperately Seeking Susan). Finally, he uses movies including On Golden Pond and Amour to describe the memory loss that often accompanies aging, while highlighting effective ways to maintain memory function.