Wize University Psychology Textbook > Memory
Seven Sins of Memory
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Seven Sins of Memory
The Seven Sins of Memory, identified by Schacter, are common ways in which our memories let us down. They are separated into sins of commission (adding information) and sins of omission (leaving out or losing information).
Sins of Omission
Transience - memories fade over time
Example: it is now very difficult to remember what you did on June 3rd in the year you were 4 years old.
Absent-mindedness - we fail to remember something because we were pre-occupied with something else
Example: you forget that today is your mom's birthday because you have a midterm coming up.
Blocking - we are temporarily unable to retrieve something because of interference
Example: during your exam, you have difficulty remembering the definition for episodic memory because you just keep thinking of the definition for semantic memory.
Sins of Commission
Misattribution - we misattribute information to a different source.
Example: you overhear someone on the bus saying their midterm is cancelled and you incorrectly attribute it to your instructor.
Suggestibility - our memories are affected by outside information or leading questions.
Example: your sister asks you if her friend was at the party, and you think she was, but then you later remember it as being sure she was there.
Bias - we tend to view our past through the lens of what we know now (hindsight bias).
Example: you misremember how much time you spent studying for your exam when you get your grades back - you did well, so you must have spent lots of time preparing.
Persistence - undesirable memories we can't get out of our mind We are temporarily unable to retrieve something because of interference.
Example: every time you show up for your lecture you can't help but think about the time you slipped in a puddle and fell in front of your whole class.
Practice: Seven Sins of Memory
While writing your quiz, you temporarily forget the name of the researcher who discovered classical conditioning. As soon as you walk out of the room, you remember it is Pavlov! This is the sin of: