![]() People who have recovered memories help researchers understand the biological and behavioral factors of memory. But in the case studies concerning infantile amnesia, are the methods faulty or are the components of the human subconscious at fault? Could both play an integral role in the results? Stuart Zola explores the reliability of memory in his 1998 case studies on infantile amnesia. In fact, errors are expected because 100% accuracy is virtually impossible. In any study, there is the likelihood of experimental error. Furthermore, autobiographical memory is a component of declarative memory that is particularly episodic because it is linked spatially and temporally to unique events. Perceptual and motor skills contribute to non-declarative memory, which does not necessitate the deliberate recall that declarative memory requires. Semantic memory supports retention of “knowledge of facts and data that may not be related to any event” (2), while episodic memory relates more heavily to unique events linked to place and time. ![]() Semantic and episodic memories are the two subtypes of declarative memory. Declarative memory is devoted to processing names, places, events, and facts. Declarative and non-declarative memories are central, but distinct divisions exist that contribute to our notion of forming memories. Memory is a complex entity of the human brain. This paper will investigate the different and oftentimes opposing theories that help explain the elusive phenomenon of infantile amnesia. ![]() Psychologists have demonstrated that autobiographical memory minimizes the constraints of this particular amnesia, but one question remains unclear-what inhibits autobiographical memory? It is a question that has beguiled psychologists for nearly half a century. For example, how does autobiographical memory shape infantile amnesia? Autobiographical memory or personal memory is a branch of memory that is established for encoding, storing, and retrieving events and experiences to construct one’s personal past. Significant light has been shed on the details concerning the nature of infantile amnesia since Freud’s era, yet many mysteries remain. This inevitable condition is identified as infantile amnesia, a term forged by the renowned Sigmund Freud when he commenced his studies of this marvel in 1905 (1). Ever wonder why it is a struggle to remember an event prior to the age of two? Or even the day you were born? One wonders why such a significant event as one’s birth fades into oblivion, never to be recovered. One of the most common and largest gap in the human memory bank consists of recollections of the first few years of infancy and babyhood. These large memory gaps of narratives are difficult to seal, thereby creating a disconnect between one stage of life and another. It appears to be ineffaceable, a solid entity of the past, yet it frequently eludes its owner, making one question the validity and transiency of memory. Nevertheless, due in large part to its longevity, memory is a difficult term to define. It is the internal scrapbook that defines one’s individuality-a sense of self that is crucial to the human psyche. ![]() Share on Twitter Share on Facebook Share on Email
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