In order to evaluate this claim it is necessary to look at some of the research that has been carried out on memory. Most of the relevant research findings support the theory that memory is indeed a constructive and dynamic system but how much of what we store in our memory is down to active and conscious energy and how much information is absorbed in a passive and automatic way. Brace and Roth (as cited in Brace and Roth, 2007, pg130) state that “memory is an active, selective and constructive process rather than a passive mechanism for recording external information.” This essay will look at the research done on the subject and evaluate to what extent the memory is a constructive and dynamic system.
Without our memories, humans would not be able to function properly. It is a necessary and vital part of everyday life. It is therefore important to psychologists that they understand how it functions. The research done so far has broken memory down into three kinds of processes. Encoding is when experiences and information acquired through the senses are stored in the memory. The Storage processes are responsible for retaining the stored information so that it is not forgotten. The Retrieval system is responsible for pulling information out of the memory store in order to remember it (Brace and Roth, 2007).
The memory also has sub-sections that work simultaneously and comprise of sensory memory, short-term memory and long-term memory. William James (as cited in Brace and Roth, 2007) was the first psychologist to theorise that the brain used a primary memory permitting conscious mental activity and a secondary memory responsible for storing the information.
Memories help us with our formation of self and without a memory we would not have any idea of our own identity. We wouldn’t be able