In this blog post, I will connect and piece some of my research together from my last blog post. I am specifically looking at childhood experiences, but diving deeper into memories. Good or bad. How do they affect our identity, personality and behaviour?
Lets look at memory…
Memories are combined from many groups, that include short-term memory, long-term memory, sensory memory and working memory. Short-term memories have a short stay and information can leave quickly if we do little to help it stay, when it would move onto our long-term memory. The long-term memory has infinite capacity and duration, which is how we can remember childhood memories. Memories are stored, based on repetition and rehearsal, the same way you can remember things such as phone numbers, birthdays and addresses. Another thing that helps memories stay longer, is if it is associated with one of our five senses. If a memory is associated with sight, scent, hearing, touch or taste, we will more likely remember that memory for longer. (1)
Something else that is important to note is that memories are often not an accurate recording of events, but rather an elaborate reconstruction that our minds create for us. What this means, is that memory can be manipulated as tested in an experiment involving participants watching a video of a car crash and using language and an estimation of speed. Participants watched the video and were then asked how fast the car was driving before it … they used different words for different people, as it was proven the harsher the language, the higher the speed. For example, a word such as contacted, would get an average speed of 31.8(mph), when a word such as smashed, would get an average speed of 40.8(mph). This proves that memory can be manipulated, negatively, such as if we experienced something when we are in a bad mood, that memory is going to be negative. (1)
So, how does this relate to my inquiry question. Well, this research proves that events and memory are stored in long-term memory together, and even though our memory is not accurate, we still let these memories influence ourselves and our behaviour. Can this be used positively? We know that parental care and guidance plays a huge role on child development, but parents are constantly tired from being perfect role models all the time for their children, but what if that didn’t matter and the only thing that mattered were specific key positive memories, associated with our five senses, that could be interpreted positively from their child, meaning they had good memories with their parents and could establish trust in their future.
As children, we encounter the negativity bias, which makes us believe the worst case and the worst scenarios. As a child, we need to get positive reinforcement and self validation. We cannot move past in our lives, if we are caught up in insecurities and trauma. We need to focus on a positive mindset as a kid and we cannot think about our mistakes or misjudgements. (2)
There isn’t an exact solution for creating positive memories in your childhood, as it all depends on how you were born, raised and influenced, but simply reflecting on your thinking, “thinking about thinking” is called metacognition. This skill can help children focus on their learning strengths and weaknesses what they need to do to improve their learning. It helps students understand how they might have made a mistake and how they could improve and that eliminates the negative language and improves self validation. (3)
Another thing that is related to metacognition, that is associated with memory is meta-memory. It is the knowledge of the connection between memory and learning. Knowing how your memory and learning are connected is a strength to improve your mental wellbeing and learning. (4)
In conclusion, memories and experiences guide our thoughts, create a sense of self, influence our emotions and dictate our decisions. Especially memories in early childhood can subconsciously explain our personality, behaviour and identity. It is important to understand flaws in our memory and experiences that can affect our lives for the better or for the worst. Memories are more important than we realize and they can be manipulated greatly. Especially a memory can be turned into a false interpretation and it can change the whole memory if it is connected to our biases. (5) It is important that we give good experiences to children today, so that they can create good memories when they grow up. Is it possible to manipulate memories positively, involving use of language and our five senses?
SOURCES:
1) Ralls, Emily, and Tom Collins. Psychology: 50 Key Ideas Unpacked. Sirius Entertainment, 5 Mar. 2024.
2) Swaim, Emily. “How Do Emotions Affect Your Memories?” Healthline, 10 July 2022, www.healthline.com/health/mental-health/how-does-emotion-impact-memory#why-it-matters.
3) Jacobson, Rae. “Metacognition: How Thinking about Thinking Can Help Kids.” Child Mind Institute, Child Mind Institute, 26 Feb. 2016, childmind.org/article/how-metacognition-can-help-kids/.
4) Soderstrom, Nicholas C., et al. Metamemory and Education. Edited by John Dunlosky and Sarah (Uma) K. Tauber. Oxford Handbooks Online, Oxford University Press, 3 Feb. 2015, bjorklab.psych.ucla.edu/wp-content/uploads/sites/13/2016/04/Metamemory_and_Education.pdf. Accessed 24 Jan. 2022.
5) Pathman, Thanujeni, and Patricia Bauer. “Brain | Memory and Early Brain Development.” Encyclopedia on Early Childhood Development, June 2020, www.child-encyclopedia.com/brain/according-experts/memory-and-early-brain-development.
