2. Individual Differences in Memory

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About this Lecture

Lecture

In this lecture, we think about individual differences in memory, focusing in particular on: (i) the three processes of memory – taking information in, storing information, and retrieving information; (ii) Craik and Lockhart’s 1972 paper on levels of processing in memory; (iii) how differences in the retrieval process of memory manifest; (iv) ‘super-recognisers’ as a demonstration of individual differences at the extreme, as well as more common examples of individual differences via preferences for information type.

If you'd like to improve your own memory, visit Dr Jansari's website to explore some key techniques.

Course

In this course, Dr Ashok Jansari (Goldsmiths, University of London) explores memory in the context of brain damage and memory disorders. In the first lecture, we think about reconstructive memory by understanding the process of remembering not as locating a ‘file’, but as a reconstruction of sensory data, contextualised as an event. In the second lecture, we consider how people differ in their memory performance and where these differences might originate. Next, we look at some key figures in memory psychology, who have helped shape our understanding of which brain areas are responsible for which aspect of memory performance. In the fourth and final lecture, we discuss dementia as an umbrella term for degenerative brain disorders and some of the current research looking to improve our diagnostic ability and potential for curing these conditions.

Lecturer

Dr Ashok Jansari is a senior lecturer in the Department of Psychology at Goldsmiths, University of London. Dr Jansari’s research interests include memory disorders, prosopagnosia, executive functions, and synaesthesia. Dr Jansari is most famous for his research into prosopagnosia, having made numerous TV appearances, including on BBC1’s The One Show, as well as hosting his own ‘Neuro Talk’ YouTube channel:

https://www.youtube.com/c/DrAshokJansariNeuroTalk/featured

Some of Dr Jansari's recent publications include 'Acquired synaesthesia following 2C-B use' (2019), 'Using virtual reality to investigate multitasking ability in individuals with frontal lobe lesions' (2019), and 'Identification from CCTV: Assessing police super-recogniser ability to spot faces in a crown and susceptibility to change blindness' (2018).