The amount of times I have heard, “Do not blame your partner for your past relationships” is so redundant. Yet it is only after we learned about exemplar theory that I found it worth repeating for the sake of questioning. Exemplar theory is the concept that we have stored examples of the category we have encountered. So, in regards to relationships the exemplar theory is all of our past romantic experiences placed into one general category. Should we be using exemplar theory with our relationships?

According to the book, Knowledge Structures in Close Relationships: A Social Psychological Approach, “Applying this distinction to general lay relationship theories, it is quite conceivable that people use exemplars that consist of specific past relationships or patterns they have observed, or been involved with, to compare and contrast with their ongoing relationships experiences.”

If we are in a new relationships and we happen to see ‘red flags’ or things that we know are not good for us, exemplar theory may be a handy tool to have. But what happens when we spend so much time comparing to the past that we fail to create the now? I have found in many that this creates an inability to create new experiences and therefore further adds to the narrative of exemplar theory and therefore, their ongoing relationship experiences remain the same and unchanging.

Though exemplar theory may be helpful in many areas and facets of our lives, I cannot help but wonder if it may cause unnecessary struggle with our personal relationships. When measuring our relationships with another human being, it is near impossible to compare one relationship to the other as each one has to some degree a unique and individual facet. We can say it is possible to have relationship patterns but it makes one wonder if those patterns stem from exemplar theory and if instead, we went into relationships with no point of reference we may be better off.

References:
Fletcher, G. J., & Fitness, J. (1996). Knowledge structures in close relationships: A social psychological approach. Mahwah, NJ: L. Erlbaum.

We often make references of smells in relation to our experiences both good and bad. The smell of fresh cut grass reminding us running in sprinklers as children. The smell of tequila reminds us of a bad night of drinking five years ago. Why is it that certain scents have the ability to bring us back in time? Neuroscientists have discovered the part of our brains that store smells into our long-term memory.

We have learned that long term memory is the system that is responsible for storing information for long periods of time. Long term memory can be something that happened 30 seconds ago or, thirty years ago. So it makes sense that we can become not only aware of the smells we experience in the moment like a candle or the smell of food as its cooking, but also, the smells of our youth or moments and people in our lives that matter to us.

We also learned about the coding that goes into long term memory. Coding, being the form in which stimuli is represented. Through visual, auditory or semantic. When we smell the fresh cut grass, we can visualize the sprinklers spraying and sun shining across the tall green grass. When we smell the ocean we can hear the waves crashing, the seagulls squawking and the wind howling. When we smell that certain perfume, it brings us back to the time we sat in the kitchen with our grandmother as she cooked for us and told us stories.

We know that the prefrontal cortex and visual cortex are involved in working memory. However, as science is progressing we are finding more areas of the brain to include to that list. According to an article by ScienceDaily.com, neuroscientists Dr. Christina Strauch and Professor Dr. and Dr. Denise Manahan-Vaughn have discovered another area of the brain that is triggered  with experiences through odors. The piriform cortex which is part of the olfactory brain while working with other areas of the brain is where these smell memories are stored.

As learn about the brain and its awe-inspiring abilities, its easy to forget how important even something as simple as the smell of grass can be to our memory. How we can have experiences where a certain smell brings back a happy nostalgia or a feeling of love and peace. But, a certain smell can also trigger a feeling of pain or heartache or maybe even a suppressed memory. It also makes one remember how truly brilliant and intricate the human brain is. When talking about therapy studies like these have the potential or possibility to lead to innovation in healing.

Cited Sources:

Mundy, M., Goldstein, E. B., Brockmole, J. R., & Goldstein, E. B. (2017). PSY3051. South Melbourne: Cengage Learning. Pgs 152, 157, 159

How odors are turned into long-term memories. (2017, December 22). Retrieved March 04, 2018, from https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2017/12/171222092552.htm