How memories change

2000/11/21 Mendiburu, Joana - Elhuyar Zientziaren Komunikazioa

• Anatomia/Fisiologia

Are our memories of adolescence concrete? If those days passed long ago, surely not. For those who research memory, memories of older people are as vague as feelings. Research reinterprets memory at all times rather than static

and show that it is renewed. According to the expert at the University of Concordia, Jean Roch Laurence, "the elements of memory are organized and structured every day. The surprising thing is that memory creates a feeling of security in the individual. That is, he believes that the facts happened as he really reminds them. The memories of the key moments that mark life also change year after year." To demonstrate these statements they analyze the memories of a woman who suffered a serious car accident. Two days after the accident he remembered, among other things, that it was sunny. Years later he remembers that it rained at the time of the accident.

Recently, at Northwestern University in the United States, a study was conducted with a group of 67 people. They have been interrogated twice in their life, aged 14 and 48. In both cases, they have asked them the same questions and by the same order. The questions were not factual, that is, related to a fact, but to family, relationships, departures, sexuality, religion, discipline and general activities.

Conclusions of the study

The research shows significant differences between adolescent responses and responses of 34 years later. These people remember two things well. The first, about the ability to live better than their parents, and the second, about the importance of having a lover. Memories of discipline and interpersonal relationships were not precise. Daniel Offer, director of the research, believes that "the difficulty of good memory can be because adolescence is a confusing time".

Memories are not accurate and perfect and it is clear that they change. Now it is necessary to define the reason for these changes. However, from now on, we cannot deny the limits of memory.