2.7 Forgetting and Other Memory Challenges

Memory isn't perfect. It fades over time and can be tricky to recall. The forgetting curve shows we lose info fast at first, then more slowly. Retrieval problems, like interference from other memories, can make it hard to remember stuff we've learned.

Our brains sometimes mess with our memories too. We might repress traumatic experiences or let our egos influence what we remember. Memory accuracy is a whole other can of worms. Misinformation, source amnesia, and our tendency to fill in gaps can all make our memories less reliable than we think.

Reasons for memory failure

Time and forgetting curve

The forgetting curve demonstrates how memory fade happens over time, with the steepest decline occurring shortly after learning new information. This natural process affects everyone, though the rate varies by individual and type of information.

• We forget most stuff super fast, like within the first day
• The rate of forgetting slows down after that initial drop
• Without review, we can lose up to 70% of new info in 24 hours
• Memories that make it past that first day tend to stick around longer

Retrieval difficulties

Retrieval difficulties occur when we struggle to access stored memories. This can happen even when information is properly stored in long-term memory, making it frustrating when we know we know something but can't quite access it.

Two main types of interference affect memory retrieval:

• Proactive interference: Past learning interferes with new learning
• Retroactive interference: New learning interferes with past learning

Other retrieval issues include:

• Encoding failure: info never makes it to long-term memory in the first place
• Tip-of-the-tongue phenomenon: you know you know it, but can't quite grab it
• Storage decay: memories just fade over time

Ego defense and repression

The mind sometimes protects itself by blocking access to traumatic memories or information. This process, known as repression, operates unconsciously to shield us from psychological harm. This is one of the many ways that your body is constantly working for you.

Repression can manifest in several ways:

• Completely forgetting traumatic events
• Having gaps in memory during stressful periods
• Remembering events differently than they occurred
• Difficulty recalling emotionally charged memories

Psychologists debate how well repression actually works, but there's clinical evidence that it's a real defense mechanism.

Memory accuracy challenges

Our memories are more malleable than we often realize. Rather than perfect recordings, they are reconstructions that can be influenced by various factors.

The misinformation effect shows how easily memories can be altered:

• New information can be incorporated into existing memories
• Details can be changed without awareness
• Confidence in false memories can be just as strong as in true ones

Source amnesia and constructive memory create additional challenges:

• We may remember content but forget where we learned it
• Gaps in memory are filled in automatically
• Imagination can become mixed with real memories
• Multiple similar events may blend together