Memory Exercise
Two Fridays ago, an odd event occurred in lecture which we asked you
to describe in detail. Last Friday, we asked you to reproduce your
description word for word.
As you might guess, a lot of detail was lost in one week. The second
descriptions are in general much shorter than the first ones.
Individual students also CHANGED their descriptions:
- growing: 5'3" -> 5'5", 5'6" -> 5'8", "short" -> "medium height"
- shrinking: 5'6" -> 5'4", 5'10" -> 5'5"
- heavier: 110 lbs -> 130 lbs, 120 lbs -> 135 lbs, 140 lbs -> 160 lbs
- lighter: 135 lbs -> 110 lbs, 150 lbs -> 180 lbs
- gender: "a person" changed to "a girl"
- ethnicity: "Hispanic" changed to "Native American"
- "sunglasses" changed to "goggles", but "goggles" changed to "a mask"
- a "black hood" changed to a "blue hood"
- a yellow shirt and fishnet appear
- time: 3-5 seconds changed to 15-22 seconds
Three students mentioned the yellow smiley face sticker on the
visitor's back and one student mentioned the pink rubber gloves
in their second descriptions even though noone mentioned these in their
first descriptions.
THESE DID NOT EXIST! YOUR PROFESSORS PLANTED THIS IDEA IN
YOUR MEMORIES!
Your memory is not like a video tape that you can rewind and
watch over and over. Every time that you retrieve a memory,
you alter it, you construct new details and omit old ones.
Now that you have experienced first-hand the problems with
remembering after only one week, you can appreciate the problems
with memories of Roswell AFTER 30 YEARS!
If you are interested in false memories, research the name
Elizabeth Loftus.
This topic is connected with "recovered"
memories of childhood sexual abuse, satanic rituals, and UFO
abductions.