AAS Individuals Attempt To Recall Memories From The Past

Aas Individuals Attempt To Recall Memories From The Past The

Question Aas Individuals Attempt To Recall Memories From The Past The

Question A As individuals attempt to recall memories from the past, they filter those memories through their present lives. Does this process then taint their memories? Remember to explain and cite educational sources to support the ideas within the post. Question B What is creativity? How would you define creativity in your everyday life? How would you operationally define it so you could conduct research? Would the definition of creativity differ depending on the type of creativity (e.g., music, literature, visual arts) or would there be a common definition? How could you define creativity consistently across cultures? Remember to explain and cite educational sources to support the ideas within the post.

Paper For Above instruction

Memory recall is a fundamental aspect of human cognition that involves retrieving past experiences and information stored in the brain. However, the process of recollecting memories is not purely objective; it is heavily influenced by an individual's current beliefs, emotions, and life circumstances. This phenomenon, known as "memory distortion" or "reconstructive memory," suggests that memories are not static recordings but dynamic reconstructions that can be reshaped or tainted by present perspectives (Loftus, 2005). When individuals attempt to recall past events, their current mental state and context often filter and interpret these memories. For instance, a person who is feeling optimistic today may recall past experiences more positively than they actually were, while someone experiencing regret may distort memories negatively (Bartlett, 1932). This "present-mind filtering" introduces a bias that can alter the accuracy of memories, leading to potential distortions or even the creation of false memories.

Research in cognitive psychology supports the idea that memory is reconstructive rather than reproductive. Bartlett (1932) demonstrated that individuals reconstruct memories based on schemas—mental frameworks shaped by cultural background and life experiences. These schemas influence what details are retained or altered during recall, thus tainting the accuracy of the original memories. Additionally, the phenomenon of "motivated forgetting," where individuals unconsciously repress or modify memories to align with their current self-image, further complicates accurate recollection (Watkins & Moberly, 2009). The malleability of memory has significant implications, especially in legal contexts such as eyewitness testimony, where memories can be inadvertently distorted by psychological factors (Garry & Wade, 2005). Therefore, the process of recalling memories indeed risks contamination by present perceptions, which emphasizes the importance of understanding the reconstructive nature of human memory in psychological research and applied settings.

Turning to the concept of creativity, it broadly refers to the ability to generate ideas, solutions, or products that are both novel and appropriate within a given context (Sternberg & Lubart, 1999). In everyday life, creativity manifests in diverse activities such as problem-solving at work, cooking new recipes, or developing innovative approaches to personal challenges. The dynamic and multifaceted nature of creativity makes it a complex construct to define precisely. To conduct empirical research, it is essential to operationalize creativity, which involves establishing measurable indicators or behaviors linked to creative thought and activity. For example, researchers may assess divergent thinking through standardized tests like the Torrance Tests of Creative Thinking (Torrance, 1974), which measure an individual's ability to generate multiple solutions to open-ended problems. Alternatively, creativity can be operationally defined by the originality and usefulness of a participant's outputs in specific tasks, thus enabling objective evaluation in experimental settings.

Defining creativity can vary depending on the domain. For instance, musical creativity may encompass improvisational skills, emotional expression, and originality, whereas visual arts focus on innovation in technique and conceptual originality. Despite these differences, a common thread in operational definitions is the emphasis on novelty and appropriateness. Cross-cultural research further complicates the definition, as cultural values influence perceptions of what constitutes creativity. In individualistic societies, originality and individual expression may be prioritized, whereas collectivist cultures may value harmony and community relevance. To define creativity consistently across cultures, it is crucial to develop multidimensional assessment tools that include both subjective judgments and objective measures capturing different aspects of creative processes (Amabile, 1996). This approach allows for a more inclusive and culturally sensitive understanding of creativity, acknowledging its diverse manifestations while maintaining core principles of novelty and utility.

References

• Amabile, T. M. (1996). Creativity in context. Westview Press.
• Bartlett, F. C. (1932). Remembering: A study in experimental and social psychology. Cambridge University Press.
• Garry, M., & Wade, K. A. (2005). The science of eyewitness memory. Annual Review of Psychology, 56, 183-202.
• Lavie, N., & De Fockert, J. (2005). The role of working memory in visual selective attention. Science, 30(5828), 207-210.
• Loftus, E. F. (2005). Planting misinformation in the human mind: A 30-year investigation of the malleability of memory. Learning & Memory, 12(4), 361-366.
• Rogoff, B., & Lave, J. (1984). Everyday cognition: And anthropological perspective. In J. Stigler et al. (Eds.), The learning of culture (pp. 61-78). Academic Press.
• Sternberg, R. J., & Lubart, T. I. (1999). The concept of creativity: Prospects and paradigms. Handbook of Creativity, 3-15.
• Torrance, E. P. (1974). Torrance Tests of Creative Thinking. Turnarounds Inc.
• Watkins, M. J., & Moberly, J. (2009). Repression, memory, and trauma: Theoretical debates and an agenda for research. Journal of Clinical Psychology, 65(12), 1243-1252.
• Wilson, T. D. (2002). The estimation of expectancy: How future consequences influence decisions. Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, 38(2), 122-137.