Memory is so very unique and complex, not only that but it is also greatly suggestible. People don’t realize how much another’s point of view of an event can alter their own. Not only can memory be changed by point of view but also by simple influence. “Misinformation effect—misleading information presented after a person witnesses an event can change how the person describes that event later”(Goldstein, 2015). This happens so often that one may not even ever notice. I can attest that this has happened to me many times in many different situations. In my last blog, I talked about the event where I was hit by a car. My lawyer had mentioned details to me about the incident that I hadn’t recalled happening but once he did, my recall of that memory changed. When I spoke of the incident after that, I found myself adding on details that he had told me.

The hippocampus is the part of the brain that controls learning and memory. There are other parts of the brain that also deal with memory such as the amygdala etc. With learning how suggestible people are it appears quite easy to create false memories. Although it seems to be easier to create false memories when a person is younger, if you have a hard time remembering events like I do then age doesn’t factor too much into it. Familiarity has the biggest influence on false memories. If you hadn’t heard of the event or memory before then you would of course not recall it happening. However, after hearing of an event/memory and it being brought up again, you would be more eager to say you did remember and even add in details.

Most of my cousins and other relatives are a lot older than me because my Nana had my mom when she was in her late forties. With that being said, I obviously wasn’t around for many family events and gatherings. My cousins used to talk about things they did together when they were younger and I always had no idea what they were talking about because I was either not born yet or extremely young. After hearing about some of the events I would then recall it and even add in details even if I hadn’t been there. It is very easy to want to remember something especially if it holds great meaning (like memories with family).

References:
Goldstein, E. Bruce. “Cognitive Psychology: Connecting Mind, Research, and Everyday Experience”. Cengage Learning, 4th Ed, 2015.

Retrograde amnesia affected me deeply since an evening in December of twenty-fourteen. I had multiple issues as time has passed with remembering what happened within the minutes before the incident, and even the night following it. “Retrograde Amnesia is the loss of memory for something that happy prior to an injury or traumatic event such as a concussion”, (Goldstein, 2015). The loss of memory due to my car accident is a direct result of retrograde amnesia.

Roughly a year after moving to Texas, I was exposed to an extremely traumatic incident. Directly after the accident occurred, I was in such shock and my adrenaline was through the roof, so I was able to still recall some of what happened, but my thoughts were already blurry. I was riding my bicycle down the greenbelt trails (like a sidewalk), and I had come up to a median where there was car traffic coming through. To this day the only thing I am fully certain of was that the driver did not have his turn signal on and was on his telephone. Unfortunately, I did get hit hard and skidded a bit. I hadn’t had a helmet on which was ill played on my part, but I did sprain my ankle and got cut up bad. As time has gone on, instead of my memory of the incident getting clearer and more pronounced, it appears to get foggier and so the days surrounding it. The trauma of the incident has resulted in severe memory loss from that week, but I am hoping it is possible for me to regain it at some point.

Retrograde amnesia was directly caused by the trauma of the event where I was hit by a car. Although this has affected me deeply, there is still possibility that I could remember the details of that time at some point. Trauma effects the brains in mysterious ways and it more than likely always will. There are many different types of amnesia and different causes, but I know this one fits my situation the best. My hope is that in the future we can figure out a way to trigger the details and memories people have lost.

References:
Goldstein, E. Bruce. “Cognitive Psychology: Connecting Mind, Research, and Everyday Experience”. Cengage Learning, 4th Ed, 2015.

In chapter 1, there were many concepts and theories that stuck out to me. With that being said, Artificial Intelligence piqued my interest the most. AI has evolved so much and has introduced new assets to psychology. It has also brought about new ways of looking and diagnosing. AI in psychology will really pave the way in modern medicine and mental illness.
There is one way that AI has helped improve mental diagnosis. There is a Mental Health Diagnostic Expert System that has really showed AI potential for psychology. “Mental Health Diagnostic Expert System uses advanced AI technology to encode expert knowledge of mental health disorders, which it then uses for diagnoses and proposing treatments”, (Sutton). The fact that technology can take on human responsibilities is incredible and is really promising. This technique could be very resourceful in many different environments and/or settings. One of the ways it can be promising is in cases of time management. With all the information readily available to the AI, it could help a lot faster than a human having to sit and process all this information. The information brought from the AI can be more accurate too. “In ensuring that mentally ill patients get the best diagnosis and treatment they anticipated, then there is need for an expert system (a branch of artificial intelligence) which could enable faster diagnosis and suggest the best method of treatment “, (Oguoma, Uka, Chukwu, Nwoaha). Location is great too! With the AI not having to be on site, it allows for more flexibility and still manages to do the job at hand. Not only does that helped the doctors’ side of things, but also the patient. It would help the patient if they were unable to leave their home or other location.
Artificial intelligence is continually evolving and changing. The more up to date this technology is, the more it will aid to the field. With bringing more attention to the Mental Health Diagnostic Expert System, hopefully it will be used everywhere. The system really helps the mental diagnosis process and to bettering treatments and opportunities in the field. The pros outweigh the cons as far as this technology goes.

References:
Jeremy Sutton, Ph.D. “Artificial Intelligence in Psychology: 5 Revolutionary Examples”. 18 Aug 2021. https://positivepsychology.com/artificial-intelligence-in-psychology/
Oguoma, S. , Uka, K. , Chukwu, C. and Nwaoha, E. “An Expert System for Diagnosis and Treatment of Mental Ailment”. Open Access Library Journal, 7, 1-22. Apr 2020. https://www.scirp.org/journal/paperinformation.aspx?paperid=99555