Perception Attention And Memory Essay

Perception, attention, and memory are slippery subjects. Perception is the process of recognizing and interpreting sensory stimuli, which is everything taken in through sight, sound, smell, touch and taste (Matlin, 2012). Consequently, it is an imprint that is left in the mind. Attention is the concept that refers to how specific information is processed in the environment (Matlin, 2012). It allows focus on specific items while filtering out other less significant stimuli. Memory is the process in which information is coded, stored, and retrieved. There is more than one type of memory, which again, can determine the capacity and duration for which we store what we have learned. Short-term memory has the most limitations; it is fragile and can be lost quickly. Of the two types of memory, long-term is essentially limitless and is accessed through three different types – semantic, procedural, and …show more content…
Memories of the initial event can be effected by events and suggestions that occurred afterwards also known as post event misinformation effect (Gerry et al, 2005). The particular way in which a question was asked, the type of feedback given, social pressure to do the right thing, and the time delay between the event and the testimony can all affect accurate information (Matlin, 2012). The relationship between eyewitness memory and recall is minimal. A person may appear confident in their memories, but actual recall of events is lacking. According to Wise as stated in Matlin’s Cognition, 8th edition “This research has practical applications for the legal system. For example, a survey of U.S. law enforcement officers showed that only about 21% of the officers were aware that memory confidence is not strongly correlated with memory accuracy”