Neisser,U. (1982). Memorists. In U. Neisser & I. E. Hyman (eds.) Memory Observed: Remembering in Natural Contexts. (pp. 476-478). New York: Worth Publishers.
Luria, A.R. (1968). The mind of mnemonist. In U. Neisser & I. E. Hyman (eds.) Memory Observed: Remembering in Natural Contexts. (pp. 479-486). New York: Worth Publishers.
Hunt, E. & Love, T. (1972). The second mnemonist. In U. Neisser & I. E. Hyman (eds.) Memory Observed: Remembering in Natural Contexts. (pp. 487-495). New York: Worth Publishers.
Thompson, C., Cowan, T., Frieman, J., Mahadevan, R., Vogl, R., & Frieman, J. (1991). Rajan, Master of Pi. In U. Neisser & I. E. Hyman (eds.) Memory Observed: Remembering in Natural Contexts. (pp. 496-501). New York: Worth Publishers.
7 comments:
I thought that the case of “S” was especially interesting because it introduces a whole new dimension into memory. The concept of mnemonic devices and certain people’s extraordinary ability to remember are interesting in themselves, but what I found most interesting were the mnemonic devices that “S” uses, and I think they can help to open up a discussion about the malleability of memory. The fact that “S” uses images in order to help himself remember, and, in general, generates images and colors while tapping into a whole different sense, such as the sound of someone’s voice, makes me wonder how this affects his autobiographical memory. Instead of remembering, of even just experiencing, a thing in itself, “S” is associating the thing with many other different things, whether it be images from his childhood street or particular colors to match a voice. For everyone, the process of remembering entails constructing experiences and encoding them (and later retrieving them) differently from how they originally and literally are. But I wonder how much more extreme this is in “S”’s case. If “S” automatically encodes and retrieves experiences drastically differently from how they are originally, and in such an unconventional context, how jumbled is his sense of self? I wonder if it has any effect on the coherence of his narrative.
On another topic, in terms of the debate as to whether people have a natural gift for extraordinary memories, or whether anyone can obtain an extraordinary memory and it is all dependent upon mnemonic devices, I believe the former. The case of “S” is revealing in itself. Sure, his imagery guided memory is definitely a mnemonic device, but it is one that arose in him naturally, so much so that he can’t even “turn it off” for his own convenience. Also, it only seems natural that some would have an extraordinary ability to remember, and some wouldn’t; I thought it was a known fact. I don’t see why this isn’t carried over particularly into the use of mnemonic devices. I do believe that people can improve their memories with mnemonic devices, but I don’t believe that just anyone can recite the entire string of numbers involved in pi. I wonder what, neurologically, does create this aptitude in people. I think it’s more an aptitude for response to mnemonic devices, than a particularly strong memory. I wonder what makes people able to use these mnemonic devices effectively, and others not.
Chapters 44-47 of Memory Observed: Remembering in Natural Contexts by Ulric Neisser and Ira E. Hyman, Jr. discuss mnemonists and memorists, the difference between the two, the incredible feats of both groups and how they are able to accomplish what they do. Mnemonists, as Neisser explains, are people who are particularly apt at remembering large sequences of numbers, letters, passages, etc. with the assistance of mnemonic devices, while memorists are especially stunning because, without the assistance of mnemonic devices, they are just as or more capable at remembering almost anything with the same precision. There are some critics of those with incredible memory abilities who claim that the astounding length of the sequences and rate at which they remember are skills that can be attained by any average person with intense practice and the use of memory devices, however, memorists and mnemonists are nonetheless exceptional beings with exceptional capabilities who are awe-inspiring in their accomplishments, with or without practice or mnemonics. The most prevalent technique among memorists and mnemonists is something we are all familiar with, either directly or indirectly- photographic memory. This ability allows certain individuals to recall images, sounds or objects with extreme accuracy and astounding detail for a long period of time. Despite the records of incredible accomplishments by memorists and mnemonists, it is intriguing that psychologists specializing in memory have yet to become all that interested in the subject. Still so, there are exceptions to this lack of interest by psychologists generalization, especially when considering “S,” the subject of Dr. Alexander Luria, “the most distinguished Soviet psychologist of his generation,” and a man with incredible information obtaining and retaining strategies which eventually came to overwhelm him and his thoughts. After numerous tests in which S was asked to remember either verbally stated or written sequences of words, number and letters, he was able to repeat the information forward and backward with incomprehensible accuracy as long as he was given a three to four second pause between each stated variable in the sequence. More staggering, however, was his ability to recall the sequences to the same precision when tested nearly sixteen years later without any notification. Where S breaks from the norms of memorists and mnemonists, in that many of them have visual memory techniques, is his possession of rare type of sensitivity known as synesthesia. There are very few people known to have such sensitivity, and S is one of those few who sees light and color and experiences a feeling of taste and touch in the face of every sound he hears. While synesthesia sounds like it could be something we’d all like to experience, I couldn’t imagine living in a crowded city and being bombarded with the noise of thousands of people, cars, subways, and sirens which constantly and without a doubt transfigured into “pulls of stream” or “splashes,” as is the case with S, but this is exactly how he able to remember things with such accuracy and durability. With each sound he heard came a detailed and distinct visual image, and in the situation of having to remember quite lengthy series of numbers, letters, etc., S would “distribute” these images along a mental pathway. When asked to recall these sequences, all S had to do was close his eyes and take a “mental walk” along the road he created littered with images which he associated with each element in the series, either from start to finish or vice versa. Without the three to four second pause between each element, the images that S conjured up would bump up against each other and mesh into blurs or blanks in the sequence which he became unable to recall. Thus, while remembering sequences containing thousands of variables was just as easy as it would be for any literate person to read a passage in a book, this seemingly simple task was as impossible for S as it would be for say, someone with dyslexia. With each word read bringing to mind and sight an image, S was unable to “concentrate on what was essential,” and furthermore most often had to reread and rethink the entirety of what he was reading because the images were inclined to piling up against one another. What allowed S to astound so many people also became what overwhelmed him; with images coming to his mind irrepressibly whenever he referred to something connected to them, “images began to guide his thinking, rather than thought itself being the dominant element.”
Perhaps what allowed VP, another mnemonist, to avoid succumbing the same image overwhelmed fate as S was his ability to speak eight languages. As opposed to S, VP “has hardly any mental imagery at all.” Asked to listen to and later recall a series of nonsense syllables, VP used a mnemonic device in which he associated each letter or syllable to words in German, Latvian, Russian, Estonian, Spanish, French, Latin and English. Instead of being bombarded with images because they were all connected with something else, VP had an infinite number of associations he could make because of the number of languages he knew.
Mnemonists are people who are able to retain information and memories in some form of trick, usually visual that allows them to remember the information accurately over long periods of time. There were a few famous examples in the text. S was able to memorize anything as long as there was a 3-4 second pause in between each word. He was also able to associate color and images with sounds. On the other hand, VP associates information with other words and phrases. Rajan is able to remember very long series of numbers.
VP’s recounting of the Indian folklore was really impressive. The first time he recounts the tale, it is almost exactly alike except for a few grammatical differences and a tiny section which he left out. Even after one year, his recall of the story was very detailed and had all of the major points of his original recall. In the table, his recall after one year actually had more nouns and verbs in common with the original tale than his first recall.
All of this leaves me wondering if there are actually people that are naturally born with photographic memory without the use of mnemonics. I know that there was one person discussed in class and there was also another woman who was briefly mentioned in the first book. How is it possible that for someone naturally gifted with such exceptional memory not to be overwhelmed with so much information?
In these few selections from Neisser's book, one important distinction is made: that between mnemonists and memorists. I believe this distinction is extremely important to research in memory expertise, because it definitively answers questions about the function of memory at its core. When one hears about a 'memory expert' it elicits the question- is the quality of memory something rooted in biology or is simply the result of deliberate and constant rehearsal? Initially, in the case study of mnemonists such as 'S' and 'VP', it appears that it is a natural trait. Neither needed much rehearsal time (or any) to absorb information, and it never mattered whether the material had meaning or if they were nonsense syllables- both subjects could remember this information for days, months, and even years at a time. Yet upon further inquisition, both subjects revealed to have particular methods of encoding the information. In the case of 'S', it was a rare case of synesthesia, which allowed him to mentally distribute images (which were associated with the sound he heard) in familiar places, and could easily bring to mind these places at a later date- whether the intervals were weeks or years. As for 'VP', his methods were an extremely complicated string of mnemonics that reflected his 'rote memorization' eduction in Latvia. Through his incredibly expansive knowledge he was able to create a long thread of associations which gave him the ability to accurately remember things for a significant amount of time. The application of his method was confirmed when they attempted a study in which he had to memorize combinations of numbers and letters, which made it must more difficult to follow along in a clean line of associations. These case studies as well as others seem to point to a 'learned' theory of memory expertise. And yet some studies appear to clash- subjects who were trained for over a year did in fact gain the ability to memorize increasingly long strings of numbers, yet subjects who were taught VP's method of memorizing ended up more confused than anything. Is it possible to ever really be trained in memory expertise? I believe that while the quality of one's memory may not be rooted in any neurobiological basis, one can gain these skills through a combination of other factors rooted in our brains- such as intelligence and creativity. Also worldly experience seems necessary, though this would be something that one would have to purposely seek in life. Ultimately I believe that one can not just sit down and teach themselves how to improve their memories, but they are not simply born with the ability either. A combination of other factors, life experience, and probably some studying as well allows for expertise. Also I believe it is necessary that one develops their own, personalized form of mnemonics. Possibly the reason that teaching students 'VP's' methods didn't work because one must deal with associations and tricks that they can understand and relates personally for them- there may no be one, universal way to remember.
How does one come across such a phenomenal feat? Were they born with these special capabilities? How is it possible to lose? Reading these accounts of experts, I’m reminded of photographic memory and how that process works compared to mnemonists abilities.
S’s ability to convert immediately to long-term memory is extraordinary. Literally, these experts have no limit with their mental capabilities. Most intriguing was the tone experiment where they conducted certain tones and difference speeds to see what images S would describe. This experiment is the most innovative and genius way of understanding S’s case. In this experiment there seems to be some correlating evidence that S’s images becomes sharper as the tones picked up. I think this is amazing, to be able to hear noises and see shapes, colors, etc. We do this all the time, but for S it seems like her images are consistently vivid and amazingly detailed.
It also seemed like S had this great gift, but one can immediately see the downside of her abilities. S is trapped in a mid of images that controlled his thoughts because each word/image causes another thought/image, which causes a jumble of mixed memories. These images controlled his thinking rather than his own thoughts. What does S think? Is S really “free” to think what he wants? It seems like there’s a question of will with S. Where do you draw the line between will in thinking and interrupted thoughts, especially in S’s case?
Synesthesia appears to be a remarkable mechanism for creating a relationship between visual images, auditory projections and memory. S. has a seemingly unparalleled ability to hold an infinite capacity of memories in his mind and to regurgitate them on command. The debilitating aspects which come with such as extraordinary ability are ones which I had never previously considered and to be honest, appear to more than make up for the benefits. The inability to focus on a story or read or study because of the preoccupation of relating currently forming memories to past ones would seem so exhaustive and destructive that it could almost appear to be a disorder, as opposed to a gift. Would there be any known mechanism which could tone down the synesthetic symptoms in order to improve concentration and reading ability? Are there certain occupations in which a syesthetic memory would in fact be an enormous advantage? The story of VP offers a particularly interesting alternative to the case of S in that his methods appear to be much more logically based, as opposed to image-based.
I was particularly interested in this next case as it highlighted a brief but rather important mention of culture differences and outcome. “In VP’s own remarks, the child who sat in the corner, reading, during recess was encouraged, whereas in this country, there would be a parent-teacher conference on social development” (p. 488). The cultural difference of normalcy and abnormalcy are intriguing and without a doubt, the skills which are viewed as particularly lucrative or even exceptional in one certain environmental context appear to be viewed as developmentally harmful for another’s societal goals. The rote memorization and intellectual, authoritarian nature of the Latvian schools described show a stark contrast to the more nurturing and socially oriented educational institutions in the U.S. Does the environment play a role (small or large) in the development of these abilities, or are these purely genetic? If there is an interplay, why don’t we see more of these cases, or are they simply not reported? VP’s subsequent ability to provide associations to nonsense syllabus in a logically deduced manner (XIB for ‘illiterate woman” since X is the signature of an illiterate person and IB sounds like LIB- woman’s Lib etc…) all at an unrelenting speed.
Rajan was the last exceptional case in the case studies presented who was shown to recite 31, 811 digits of pi in 3 hrs and 49 minutes at an average rate of 3.5 digits per second. This is exceptional even in comparison to the current Guinness Book of World Records who was able to recite 40,000 digits of pi but at an average rate of .85 digits per second. Story recall for Rajan appeared relatively moderate, falling at averages levels for detail and accuracy. On the other hand in comparison, VP’s recitation of the stories read to him were bordering on perfection (a near impossible feat). These chapters offer no biological basis for these phenomenon and I wonder which part of the brain is/are responsible for these abilities. Would these (presumptively) overdeveloped parts of the brain overcompensate for other abilities? As seen in the case of S, ability to study and read are greatly decreased as a consequence of poor linear focus ability. What else could go wrong?
I thought about why it may be that psychology in general, according to some of the material written in these chapters, has less interest in mnemonists (basically none according to A.R. Luria). This could be perhaps, because of the fact that there is such a large focus on pathology in the study of psychology. It seems, based on what I have encountered in other readings during this class, that it is more likely that certain cognitive or psychiatric characteristics would be brought under the spotlight if they were involve some type of pathology. Further, cases or extraordinary memory or mnemonic abilities are less complex in the sense that they do not seem to affect a person’s day to day functioning or sense of self in the way in which other conditions we have explored in past readings have. Also, while investigating the abilities of mnemonists could be fascinating to many, perhaps many in the mental health field could take the stance that it is more useful to devote time and energy researching special memory conditions which require some form of treatment? Also, I could more easily envision this subject matter, and/or related stories of individuals who fit this criteria, being covered in the newspaper or “Time Magazine” as opposed to a psychology research journal article.
In addition, even though it was stated within Neisser’s chapter that there is some sort of internal quality which would allow for these memory capabilities, certain strategies one can practice and impose open one’s self also has greatly affected one’s ability to retain and retrieve information, such as mentioned in Case and Ericsson’s theories. This seems to take away the focus from high memory skills being an inherent neuropsychological trait to be researched as such.
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