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Suppressing unwanted memories reduces their unconscious influence on behavior

Researchers at the University of Cambridge and MRC Cognition and Brain Sciences Unit have shown that suppressing unwanted memories reduces their unconscious influence on behavior. The study found that suppressing visual memories made it harder for people to later see the suppressed object compared to other recently seen objects.

SourceUniversity of Cambridge·JournalProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences·DateMar 17, 2014

Outside the body our memories fail us

Studies show that when participants experience an 'out-of-body' illusion, their memories are fragmented and stored improperly. The research suggests a close relationship between body experience and memory, with implications for understanding psychiatric conditions such as PTSD and schizophrenia.

SourceKarolinska Institutet·JournalProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences·DateMar 10, 2014

Humans have a poor memory for sound

Researchers at the University of Iowa found that humans tend to forget sounds they hear, rather than visual or tactile information. The study suggests that our brain may use separate pathways to process auditory information, and that alternative strategies like increased mental repetition may be needed to improve memory.

SourceUniversity of Iowa·JournalPLOS ONE·DateFeb 26, 2014

Faces we don't forget

Psychologists at the University of Jena discovered that attractive faces without distinctive features are less memorable. In a study published in Neuropsychologia, researchers found that test subjects were more likely to remember unattractive faces than attractive ones when the latter lacked notable traits.

SourceFriedrich-Schiller-Universitaet Jena·JournalNeuropsychologia·DateFeb 4, 2014

Men forget most

A recent study found that men are more likely to experience memory problems than women, with 8 out of 9 questions showing higher rates of forgetting among men. This phenomenon holds true across all ages, from 30 to 60 years old, and is associated with higher education levels and a lower risk of dementia.

Younger people have 'high definition' memories

Researchers found that younger adults outperform older adults in visual working memory tasks, with a higher capacity for 'high definition' recall. This suggests that while older adults may store similar amounts of information, their memories are less detailed and impaired in recollection.

LSU psychologist discovers intricacies about lying

A new study by LSU Associate Professor Sean Lane explores the cognitive machinery of lies, revealing that false descriptions are more accessible and durable in our memories due to the effort required to make them up. This finding has implications for police interrogation methods and forensic techniques.

SourceLouisiana State University·JournalJournal of Applied Research in Memory and Cognition·DateSep 4, 2013

Change, conflict cue memories of life's milestones: Study

A study by Connie Svob and Norman Brown found that people are more likely to remember transitional moments from their life stories, such as promotions or pets. The researchers identified distinct elements or life markers that separated the two groups of participants, suggesting a positive predisposition to detect and remember change.

SourceUniversity of Alberta·JournalPsychological Science·DateMay 29, 2013

Clenching right fist may give better grip on memory

A study published in PLOS ONE found that clenching the right fist before memorizing information strengthens the memory, while clenching the left fist before recalling improves verbal recall. Researchers suggest this effect may be due to brain regions associated with memory formation being activated by hand-clenching.

SourcePLOS·JournalPLOS ONE·DateApr 24, 2013

Gone but not forgotten: Yearning for lost loved ones linked to altered thinking about the future

A new study published in Clinical Psychological Science found that adults suffering from complicated grief retain their ability to recall specific memories of their past when those events involve the deceased. They often generate impossible future scenarios with the deceased relative to their difficulty imagining a realistic future.

SourceAssociation for Psychological Science·JournalClinical Psychological Science·DateMar 18, 2013

Food memories can help with weight loss

A study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that recalling recent meals reduces food consumption, while being distracted during eating leads to increased intake. Techniques such as writing down previous meals and using visual reminders can aid in reducing meal sizes.

SourceUniversity of Liverpool·JournalAmerican Journal of Clinical Nutrition·DateMar 18, 2013

Trust makes you delusional and that's not all bad

Research from Northwestern University and Redeemer University College found that trusting partners remember transgressions as less severe, while low-trust partners recall them as more severe. This distorted memory affects how individuals think about their partner and relationship.

SourceNorthwestern University·JournalJournal of Personality and Social Psychology·DateFeb 27, 2013

Facebook posts not easily forgotten

A new study found that Facebook posts are remarkably memorable, outperforming both human faces and sentences from books in terms of retention. The researchers suggest that this is due to the casual, gossipy language used in microblogs, which taps into people's basic language capacities.

SourceSpringer·JournalMemory & Cognition·DateJan 15, 2013

Research identifies a way to block memories associated with PTSD or drug addiction

Researchers at Western University identified a common mechanism in the pre-limbic cortex to control recall of memories linked to aversive experiences in PTSD and rewarding memories in drug addiction. Stimulating a specific dopamine receptor subtype can prevent spontaneous recall of both types of memories without altering their integrity.

SourceUniversity of Western Ontario·JournalNeuropharmacology·DateDec 5, 2012