Memory Experiement

I just did an experiment with my brother and my girlfriend in order to test their memory!

In the experiment, I had to read them two lists. The first list all had things that had to do with a needle. The second list had a bunch of things that had to do with sleep and doctors. After reading them the first list, they would have to write down as many words that they could remember from it. I would then do the same with the second list, reading it and them then listing words. What was interesting, though, was that the first list didn't have the word "needle" in it at all, and the second list didn't have the words "sleep" or "doctor" in it. If they wrote any of those words down, it would be a perfect example of how our brains can implant false memories when information we hear can logically point toward them.

My brother was first. I read him the first list. He wrote about four words down. I don't know if that's very good or bad, but if I'm honest with myself, I probably couldn't have done much better if I was taking the test. I then read him the second list. He wrote down a few more words. I then asked him if he had written the word "needle" down in the first list. He had not, but he leaned back as he said so, realizing that it should have been an obvious word to write down. He said that now that I had asked him, he remembered me saying the word. But I hadn't, which I told him. I then asked him if he had written the words "doctor" or "sleep" in the second list. He had written the word "sleep," but not "doctor."  Not bad. I then explained to him what the test was about (basically what I've written above). He felt stupid, but I told him it was a normal occurrence for everyone when they take the test, which it is.

My girlfriend was next. We went through the exact same process. She was having a pretty hard time remembering words too. In the end, the same thing happened, as far as words go. She had written down "sleep," but that was the only word she wrote down that wasn't on the list. I found it interesting how that was the one word that got both of them. As I thought about it more, I realized it made the most sense. "Needle" would have been in a shorter list, so it'd be easier to remember if it was in the list or not. But also, the things that were listed that had to do with sleep were listed before all the things that had to do with the doctor. Because all the things that were said about the doctor came last, after the things about sleep, it would make sense that those were the things that were most fresh in their memories. Because they were the most fresh, it would be harder to pick more details from the part of the list that came earlier, before the things about the doctor blocked them and made them harder to remember. Because of this, they would have only remembered something more general about the first portion of the list, and in this case, it was sleep, since that's what they all had to do with. It makes perfect sense how our brains can make these assumptions. They seem perfectly logical. I just wonder how often these kind of mistakes actually happen.

I discussed the impact this probably has on our everyday lives with my girlfriend. She said it could have a big impact when we're relaying things orally. Whether it's giving speeches, explaining things, giving directions, or just talking about something that's happened or that was said, many mistakes can be made. Who knows how hard it is to actually give an accurate eye witness account when on trial, especially when under the pressure of the court. It makes you wonder just how accurate those accounts are. That's why I think it's good to write a lot and take pictures and video. They can help keep our minds refreshed and our memories strong.

- Christian