The Mind's Storehouse: Memory Phenomenon, The
Memory is the mind's storehouse. It holds information necessary for survival, and embraces the richness and texture of individual lives. It can be a tool to fame and fortune or a traitor at the most inopportune moment. Leading memory experts share t...
Making Up People
Philosopher Ian Hacking talks about the link between the way we classify and conceptualize actions and how we define those actions, as well as how we act. He notes that these methods of classifying and conceptualizing change over time, which means t...
The Search for Intelligence: Standardized Tests-What Do They Really Measure?
Standardized tests, when used properly, can provide valuable objective information, highlighting academic strengths and weaknesses that might go unnoticed. Originally, that was their intent, to predict success in school and identify children who nee...
Pros and Cons of Recalling Repressed Memories
Experimental psychologist and author Elizabeth Loftus explains why some people go so far as to develop false memories and convince themselves that they're true. "If they've had (more severe) problems," Dr. Loftus explains, "...they don't have to thi...
Advising Therapists
Experimental psychologist and author Elizabeth Loftus says that the problem with some therapists is that they have a sexual abuse agenda. Dr. Loftus advises therapists who have a hypothesis not to limit their inquiry to that alone, "...or the patien...
Age and Susceptibility to Memory Distortion
Experimental psychologist and author Elizabeth Loftus talks about the link between age and memory distortion. "You take children who are three, four, five, six years old," Dr. Loftus explains, "...you're going to find they are more susceptible to ha...
Proving That The Mind is Malleable
Experimental psychologist and author Elizabeth Loftus talks about experiments in which suggestions are planted in the minds of subjects about incidents in their own lives that never actually happened. "You can plant really rich, false memories---det...
Ethical Dilemmas and Research Studies
Experimental psychologist and author Elizabeth Loftus acknowledges that, "...psychology is full of studies that involve deception," but wonders if some research studies "cross a line."
When A Study Ends
Experimental psychologist and author Elizabeth Loftus talks about the reactions of her subjects when research studies end. "After having debriefed more than two thousand subjects in whom I've attempted to plant a false memory over the last quarter c...
Neuroimaging
Experimental psychologist and author Elizabeth Loftus talks about the use of neuroimaging and other techniques which she believes will increasingly be utilized to show which aspects of the brain are activated during memory processes.