In numerous studies from around the world, people have witnessed an event, received or not received misleading information about it, and then taken a memory test. The repeated result is a misinformation effect. After receiving subtle misinformation, they have misremembered coke cans as peanut cans, breakfast cereal as eggs, andContinue Reading
Each day we make hundreds of decisions and judgements. Should you take an umbrella? Can I believe that person? We seldom take the time or effort to reason systematically. We usually just follow our intuition. Throughout business, government and the educational worlds, “using an effective problem-solving approach almost doesn’t exist.”Continue Reading
According to Sigmund Freud (1856-1939), our psyche resembles an iceberg, with the area of primitive drives, the Id, lying hidden in the unconscious. The Ego interacts with conscious thoughts and regulates both the Id and the Superego – our critical judging voice. The Id The Id, is formed of innate,Continue Reading
Our memories are not stored or retrieved as exact copies of our experiences. We construct memories by using what has already been stored along with new information. If we are exposed, even subtly, to misinformation after an event, or if we repeatedly imagine or rehearse an event that never happened,Continue Reading
If you’ve ever found yourself forgetting where you left your keys, or blanking out on information that’s right on the tip of your tongue, then you have probably wished that your memory was a little better. Fortunately, the psychology of memory suggests effective strategies for improving memory. Some good practicesContinue Reading
A near-death experience is defined as an altered state of consciousness reported after a close brush with death (such as by cardiac arrest). The experience is similar to drug-induced hallucinations. In studies of those who have come close to death through cardiac arrest or other physical traumas, twelve to fortyContinue Reading
“I think therefore I am” is the English translation of French philosopher René Descartes’ (1596-1650) Cogito Ergo Sum, or “thinking Is: therefore the mind Is,” or rather “the mind exists: therefore there is thinking.” Throughout history, a conflict of theories has existed concerning what the human mind is, what structureContinue Reading
Sigmund Freud (1856-1939) saw the interaction of The Id, The Ego and The Superego as a delicate balance of power within a constantly conflicting mental process. You feel anxiety when the Ego is threatened or overwhelmed. Each personality develops ways of calming these anxieties, and many resort to using Ego-defenseContinue Reading
Our memory is both reconstruction and reproduction. We can’t always be sure whether a memory is real by how real it “feels.” Much of perceptual illusion may seem real. But unreal memories also feel like real memories. Most memories therefore have the potential to being incorrect or changed because ofContinue Reading
Anxiety, said Sigmund Freud (1856-1939), is the price we pay for civilization. As we engage with social groups, we must control our sexual and aggressive impulses, not act them out. But sometimes, The Ego fears losing control of this inner war between the demands of The Id and The Superego.Continue Reading