In How Memory Works and Why Your Brain Remembers Wrong, learn why everything you experience in this life is an interpretation of signals received, assembled, and reassembled by your brain. That pliability—and even unreliability—of your memory is no accident. Yes, you hate it when you can’t remember where you put your car keys. But through this course, you’ll come to realize that each of the obvious negatives of your memory has a flip side that supports your ability to survive and thrive.
How Memory Works and Why Your Brain Remembers Wrong
In 12 lectures presented by an expert in developmental psychology, discover why our memories are so often faulty—and why that’s a feature rather than a failure.
Rated 3 out of
5
by
Forgetful Birdman from
Different Than Expected
The course was easy enough to use and follow. Sometimes the discussion was a little too simple. I was expecting more of a neurological expanation of how memory happens and why it sometimes doesn't. Having epilepsy all my life I'm used to learning about neurological functions. So many studies on the mind, mood, and memory include mention of seizures and surgeries that alter these. I was surprised that no mention was made about the medical impact on memory by stroke or seizures. I imagine it would have made the course too complicated. The relation of epilepsy and memory would deserve a whole course itself.
I was very pleased by the final discussion with the discussion of the values that remembering and misremebering can bring. I've been writing a memoir and the last session was very supportive.
Date published: 2024-02-25
Rated 5 out of
5
by
Jimski from
Interesting, useful course, pleasantly delivered.
The course provided a much wider idea of memory than I'd ever realized. Prof. Principe's presentation style was pleasing. I will say that I now have a much larger view of memory than before the course, and I will not "trust" my memory nearly as rigidly as before. The information in the course is actually liberating in that it freed me from the heavy demands and expectations that normal understanding of memory puts on us. It doesn't have to be that hard! It also shows ways we can use memory to our benefit, even fabricated "memories". There are lots of other benefits, like helping to make us easier to get along with and reducing conflict in relationships. I feel an improved capability of handling life and my mind after taking the course. Plus, it was interesting!
Date published: 2024-02-22
Rated 5 out of
5
by
the professor from
How Memory is flexible and Malleable.
Professor Gabrielle Principe presents a current review of how human memory impacts our life. The Professor is insightful, possesses a deep understanding of the subject matter and has a talent for conveying the ideas in an accessible way. She is passionate about her research field and uses many personal experiences to clafiy the concepts. Discussion of memory error, the impact of attention during an experience, reconstructive memory, false memory, For this writer, most of the discussion was a rehash of past research. There were not many 'Aha' moments in the 12 lectures, although I greatly enjoyed the lecture series and highly recommend it. Gabrielle is a pleasure to learn from as her natural enthusiasm make the lectures, easy listening and personally rewarding. .
Date published: 2024-02-18
Rated 5 out of
5
by
AriH from
Both Entertaining and Informative
How can people be so certain of their beliefs, yet hold such different world views? What happened to objective truth? It's bewildering. Also, I try hard to be mindful and fair. Yet I catch myself deceiving myself so often. Gabrielle Principe provides good research and explanations to why we jump to conclusions, why we have selected memory etc.
She provides good research as to why we forget, and how the mind really works. I love her explanation that memory is not filed in little nuggets in the brain. Rather the brain uses context to remember.
All this is done in her friendly, story like presentation. This is an important course in these modern times.
Date published: 2024-02-15
Rated 4 out of
5
by
DaGeek from
Interesting and Educational
My wife and I are – shhh – seniors. As such every time we misplace our keys, phones, etc we have a vague worry about Alzheimer’s. Something that is very common, at least for the seniors I know.
While this course was not about dementia, it was about memory in general and why our brains and memories are not computer hard drives. While it takes only a momentary reflection to affirm that our memories are not that simple, it is difficult to not think of our gray matter simply as a recorder.
Professor explores many different areas and ways our memories are not perfect recordings. She goes on to explain why this is more a “feature” than a bug, although I will admit to my brain feeling a little buggy at times.
Professor Principe is very knowledgeable and passionate about her subject. She has a nice presentation style that keeps the viewer engaged. If I had a problem with her style it would she uses a lot of personal examples, and seems infatuated with adjectives. However, I think she was just having fun with the language.
Lesson 11 was a bit of a polemic. I had the impression that she is involved in the Innocence Project, and has seen too many folks falsely convicted due to bad evidence, bad interrogation methods or witnesses misremembering. I can’t say I disagreed with anything she said, but this sort of thing sometimes turns people off.
All in all we found it very entertaining as well as educational. If you have an interest in this subject, this will be a good course for you.
Date published: 2024-02-02
Rated 5 out of
5
by
Gregg Masterson from
Great course and great presentation!
Each have a great presentation and I find myself learning things and hopefully not forgetting them on each lecture. Watching the course on wonderum and recommend this for everyone!
Date published: 2024-01-24
Rated 5 out of
5
by
DonMDPhD from
Fascinating . . . and Frightening
In my 50-year career, I wore two hats--trauma surgeon and consulting forensic psychologist. Yes, I know the two are disjointed but I'm rather odd--what can I say? So, when I saw Dr. Principe's course pop up, my psyche hat jumped off my head.
Let me explain the review title that popped into my head as I finished this course. Memory, in and of itself, is an extremely fascinating phenomenon. And it becomes even more so as we learn that memory exists and operates solely to serve the rememberer. If, for instance, you awoke one morning and remember you were the life of the party last evening when in reality you sat alone, nursing a drink and speaking briefly to only a few people, then that's your memory doing its job for you. That's an oversimplification but you get the idea.
Equally as important is forgetting. When you're my age (77 as of this writing) the conversation more likely turns to what we don't remember rather than what we do. Many of us are terrified of Alzheimer's and worry that misplacing our keys is the first step in that direction. In Lecture 8, Dr. Principe puts those notions to rest, letting us know that not only is forgetting normal but beneficial. Forgetting aids cognitive efficiently, guards emotional health and sense of self and fosters creativity. How does it do that? Watch the course!
And so we come to frightening. Consider the case of a man convicted of murder after six witnesses positively identified him in a line up. Did he do it? Nope, and DNA evidence exonerated him but only after years in prison. I recall the "repressed memories" craze that was prevalent in the 1990's in which therapists jumped on Freud's bandwagon and which Dr. Principe handles masterfully. This "craze" sent numerous innocent people to jail on no other evidence than false memories dredged up by therapists. Frightening enough for you?
Some reviewers bemoaned the Course Guide's lack of suggested readings and bibliography and deducted a star or two. While I agree with and respect them, in good conscience I cannot deduct stars for something I consider as secondary material. I consider first and foremost the lectures themselves and I find no fault in them. Dr. Principe presents her information in a conversation manner which, in my opinion, very much aids in the understanding of this complicated subject. As for the information itself, it's top-notch, cutting edge and I couldn't be more pleased.
There are few courses that will hold my attention so firmly that I do not feel the passing of time--this is one of them and it has my highest recommendation.
Date published: 2024-01-23
Rated 4 out of
5
by
EngineerinVA from
Good Intro or Review
This course is a high-level overview of memory. It serves as a good introduction to the impressive collection by The Great Courses (TGC) on the brain, learning, etc. It also serves as a good refresher for those courses.
This course presents a psychologist’s perspective of memory, as opposed to a neurologist’s perspective contained in other TGC courses. It introduces such topics as perception, how these perceptions are stored (i.e., what we call “memory”), recalling and forgetting, and biases. She emphasizes false memories and she casts doubt on testimony of witnesses, particularly in forensic situations. All this is done at a very high level.
Dr. Principe presents in a pleasant and comforting manner while still retaining an aura of authority. Unfortunately, her almost “squeaky” voice does not project the gravitas that she otherwise deserves. She weaves real-life examples into her high-level presentation to make her points concrete.
The course guide is average by TGC standards. It averages about six pages per lecture, which is only slightly less than average for a TGC course. It is written in paragraph form as opposed to outline format or bullet format and is therefore easy to use. It has just a few useful graphics. Oddly, there are no appendices, not even a glossary of terms or a bibliography.
I used the video streaming version. There are few useful video graphics so it works equally well in audio-only mode.
The course was published in 2024.
Date published: 2024-01-14
Overview
About
Gabrielle F. Principe is a Professor of Psychology at the College of Charleston. She received her PhD in Developmental Psychology from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and later completed a postdoctoral fellowship at Cornell University. She has published her research in numerous scientific journals, including Psychological Science, the Journal of Experimental Child Psychology, and the Journal of Cognition and Development. She is also the author of the book Your Brain on Childhood: The Unexpected Side Effects of Classrooms, Ballparks, Family Rooms, and the Minivan.
Trailer
01: The Surprising Pliability of Memory
In 2012, six eyewitnesses helped convict Lydell Grant of first-degree murder. But Grant was not guilty of the crime and was eventually exonerated. Was this a conspiracy? Were all six witnesses knowingly lying? Discover the slippery, shape-shifting nature of human memory and how it can fool even the most honest and well-meaning among us.
28 min
02: Context: The Connective Tissue of Memory
Our experiences are stored as patterns of electricity. When that same pattern is repeated, it gives us the feeling of the experience again, what we recognize as a memory. Learn how the context of that original experience affects our memory of it, and why context-driven memory is crucial to our survival.
32 min
03: Expectation, Perception, and Memory
Is it possible that everything you’ve ever seen, heard, smelled, or tasted is just an illusion? Actually, it’s not only possible—it’s true. Your perceptions are simply the information your brain has decided to give you. Explore how your brain uses your memories to construct the seamless experience you know as your life.
29 min
04: Attention: You Remember What You Notice
Have you ever misplaced your phone and spent precious moments of your life trying to find it? Of course—we all have. It simply means you weren’t paying attention when you put your phone down. Learn why attention is called the glue between experience and memory. If you’re not paying attention to that particular action, then it simply doesn’t exist for you. Not in memory. Not anywhere.
27 min
05: False Memory: Remembering What Didn’t Happen
Have you ever had a false memory? Chances are your romantic partner thinks you have—or your boss, mother, or child. Because even though you know a certain event happened in a particular way, they remember a completely different scenario. Explore the many different factors that work to impair your memory of any important situation.
30 min
06: How Biases Distort What We Remember
Dig into the many types of biases that can distort how we remember events, beliefs, and even ourselves. Biases of hindsight, availability, egocentrism, consistency, and more can cause us to edit or rewrite our previous experiences, unknowingly and unconsciously. And what about stereotype bias? You might be surprised to learn that it’s not all negative.
31 min
07: The Repressed Memory Wars
Learn about the murder case that launched what’s become known as the “memory wars”—a still-ongoing divide between professionals—and what modern science has to say about the notion of repressed memories. Can a person “remember” an event that can be proven to never have happened? Absolutely. Thanks to the misinformation effect, it happens all the time.
31 min
08: Things You’ll Forget and Why
We all forget things all the time, right? What’s wrong with us, and what do these memory lapses say about our character, our trustworthiness, our intelligence? Absolutely nothing, as it turns out. Discover why forgetting is, actually, a vital, adaptive feature of our brain. Get some important tips to help you better deal with its downside.
28 min
09: Memories of Emotional Experiences
In addition to our many mundane memories, each of us also has memories of significant emotional experiences, such as the birth of a child or a major global event. Learn about your body’s HPA axis, how it functions in the creation and recovery of intense emotional memories, and its relationship to PTSD and its treatment.
29 min
10: Changing Your Memories on Purpose
Previously, you’ve learned that scientists can be successful at implanting false memories. But what if scientists worked with similar memory modification techniques to improve your life, lessen pain, or allow PTSD sufferers to function better? Learn about the fascinating work known as reconsolidation therapy and the related drugs that can affect memory.
27 min
11: Memory, Evidence, and the Law
Can children be relied upon to give accurate, truthful reports about events when it comes to legal matters? Some questioning techniques are obviously meant to lead children to a specific conclusion—often with dire results for the alleged perpetrators. But you’ll be surprised to learn how easy it is for adults to influence children’s memories even without intending to.
30 min
12: The Virtues of Misremembering
When you consider how constantly memory errors shape and reshape our lives, it seems highly unlikely that these errors are simply a “bug” in the memory system that has evolved over hundreds of millions of years. Explore three ways in which our very flexible and malleable memories help us move forward in our lives better than a photographic memory ever could.
29 min
