 |
 
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
Daniel
Schacter studies the psychological and biological aspects
of human memory and amnesia, emphasizing the distinction
between conscious and nonconscious forms of memory.
Recently, Schacter has focused on the brain mechanisms
of memory distortion.
Schacter
has written two books, edited six volumes, and published
over 200 scientific articles and chapters. His book,
Searching for Memory, won the New York Times
Book Review Notable Book of the Year award in 1996 and
the 1997 William James Book Award by the American Psychological
Association. Schacter's new book, The Seven Sins
of Memory, will be published in early 2001 by Houghton-Mifflin.
Schacter
has received numerous awards for his research, including
the Arthur Benton Award from the International Neuropsychological
Association (1989) and the Troland Research Award from
the National Academy of Sciences (1991). Schacter received
his Ph.D. in 1981 from the University of Toronto, where
he studied the psychology of human memory. He became
a Professor of Psychology at Harvard University in 1991,
and has been Chair of the Department since 1995.
|
|
| |
|
|
Schacter
responds :
 12.01.00
Leo
Zimmermann asked:
Is it possible to create a false memory simply by power
of verbal suggestion? If yes, how? |
Schacter's
response:
Yes, it is. Many experiments have shown that after people
witness a simple scene, such as a car stopping at a stop
sign, if they are later asked, "Did the car stop at a
yield sign?", some people later claim to remember seeing
a yield sign in the original scene. Simply suggesting
the yield sign seems to implant it in their memories .
|
12.01.00
Mary
Watson asked:
As we age why do we frequently have trouble remembering
familiar words and names? Why at a later time do we suddenly
remember them again? Are there ongoing studies to unravel
the reason for this behavior? |
Schacter's
response:
Proper names seem to be the most susceptible to temporary
forgetting. Studies suggest that this is, at least in
part, because proper names are not inherently meaningful.
If I tell you that I am a 'baker,' I am providing you
with a lot of information about what I do and how I spend
my time. If I tell you that my name is "Baker", I'm not
providing any meaningfu information. So, proper names
tend to be somewhat isolated in memory and subject to
temporary forgetting. I deal with this issue in much more
detail in my new book, "The Seven Sins of Memory", which
will be published by Houghton-Mifflin in spring 2001.
|
12.01.00
John
J. Cannon asked:
My question is about déjà vu. I have experienced déjà
vu. I'm curious if any theories on this matter have been
proven, or if the concept has even been researched? |
Schacter's
response:
Déjà
vu is a fascinating but poorly understood phenomenon.
It may have to do with being reminded of an experience
that is similar but not identical to a present experience,
which induces a feeling of false recognition. There are
other theories, but very little research because déjà
vu occurs relatively rarely. |
12.01.00
Neil
Mussoline asked:
I'm a high school counselor and one question that has
always perplexed me is what is actually happening in the
brain when an individual has something 'on the tip of
the tongue'? You practically know what you want to recall,
but it seems the brain can't quite locate the answer. |
Schacter's
response:
That's
an interesting question, and particularly interesting
for me because our group is currently examining the issue
using brain imaging. The main thing we're noting is that
parts of the brain that are involved in actively monitoring
memory are very active during a 'tip of the tongue' state,
probably reflecting a person's thoughts and decisions
about whether they're coming up with the correct target.
But we still don't really understand what causes the tip
of the tongue state in the brain. This is another topic
I discuss at great length in my forthcoming book on "The
Seven Sins of Memory." |
back
to top
|
|
|
|
