In studying memory, experiences, and age, the question of their relationship shows up. Our experiences help us to form memory and these memories are applied towards knowledge. Knowledge by itself is not useful if it is not demonstrative or empirical. Empiricism proposes that sensory experiences are the only way to acquire knowledge that we need. Knowledge is gained with the intention of using it to alter or improve future encounters with same or different experiences. However, the ability to recall, is contingent on the strength if association between the memory and new stimulus. This strength can be affected by age and frequency of exposure. Keywords: memory, experience, sensory, empiricism, age.
Memory and Novel Experiences: A Review on the influence of stored memory on new experiences (especially in the elderly)
This article is a review of an article titled,” What you know can influence what you are going to know”. In the review, the word ‘know’ was defined as to develop a relationship with someone or something as a result of contact with the subject or object. It was said that the concept of familiarity is involved because a schema is formed while the interaction is taking place. A schema is a mental concept that influences our subsequent reaction, choices and interaction with a particular object or situation. For instance, my first time interacting with a cup, formed a schema that next time I see a cup, I either put liquid in it, or drink liquid out of it. There is also a type of schema that is associated with faces, parts of an object, or even role schema. Studies show that the variance with the support of memory by schematic knowledge, which is gained through schema. Reference was made to a statement that “an overlooked factor, is the effect of incremental changes in the consistency of stimulus material with an individual’s knowledge” and it led to the question “Will a more consistent exposure to a certain stimulus make the stimulus any more familiar than it would if exposure was less?” The answer was yes, but with consideration of the factor called, cognitive aging. It is the deteriorating of cognitive abilities which include but not limited to awareness, information handling or processing, memory and reasoning due to aging. The article concluded with the agreement that memory; what you know, can influence new experiences, what you are going to know. It is especially true in older adults. However, cognitive aging and consistency of exposure have parts to play. British Empiricism and its relationship with Memory and Novel Experiences. An empiricist, believes that all knowledge is derived from experience, especially sensory experiences. …show more content…
(Hergenhahn, 2005, p.176). This philosophy emphasizes the acquisition of knowledge through experience, rather than innate knowledge. The inner experiences are disregarded by focusing heavily on our senses. Thomas Hobbes is considered the father of British empiricism. He was interested in studying humans as machines and thereby the statement ‘humans are machines’. He troubled himself with studying us using geometry and explaining our life through motion and matter. He did support sensory experiences, and said “The [origin of all thoughts] is that which we can see, for there is no conception in a man’s mind, which hath not at first, totally, or by parts, been begotten upon the organ of senses. The rest are derived from that original. (Hobbes, 1651/1962, p.21). For Hobbes, all ideas, came from experience or more specifically, from sensory experience. Taking the position of an empiricist, I will agree with Hobbes. The only way to acquire knowledge is through our senses. The nervous system has traditionally five senses (organs and receptors) which constitute a system: Sight, hearing, taste, smell, and touch. Everything we know is either felt, seen, tasted, touched or heard. This is of course for the sake of parsimony, not considering innate knowledge. Memory is formed by three processes which are encoding, storage and recall. An individual has a memory when they can recall what they stored after encoding. For instance, I do not have memory of an experience if I cannot recall information about it i.e. the time, place, individuals, even the experience. This might be far-fetched but memory is impossible without experience. If that is admissible, then Hobbes was right, again, not considering innate memory. Taking
Memory and Novel Experiences: A Review on the influence of stored memory on new experiences (especially in the elderly)
This article is a review of an article titled,” What you know can influence what you are going to know”. In the review, the word ‘know’ was defined as to develop a relationship with someone or something as a result of contact with the subject or object. It was said that the concept of familiarity is involved because a schema is formed while the interaction is taking place. A schema is a mental concept that influences our subsequent reaction, choices and interaction with a particular object or situation. For instance, my first time interacting with a cup, formed a schema that next time I see a cup, I either put liquid in it, or drink liquid out of it. There is also a type of schema that is associated with faces, parts of an object, or even role schema. Studies show that the variance with the support of memory by schematic knowledge, which is gained through schema. Reference was made to a statement that “an overlooked factor, is the effect of incremental changes in the consistency of stimulus material with an individual’s knowledge” and it led to the question “Will a more consistent exposure to a certain stimulus make the stimulus any more familiar than it would if exposure was less?” The answer was yes, but with consideration of the factor called, cognitive aging. It is the deteriorating of cognitive abilities which include but not limited to awareness, information handling or processing, memory and reasoning due to aging. The article concluded with the agreement that memory; what you know, can influence new experiences, what you are going to know. It is especially true in older adults. However, cognitive aging and consistency of exposure have parts to play. British Empiricism and its relationship with Memory and Novel Experiences. An empiricist, believes that all knowledge is derived from experience, especially sensory experiences. …show more content…
(Hergenhahn, 2005, p.176). This philosophy emphasizes the acquisition of knowledge through experience, rather than innate knowledge. The inner experiences are disregarded by focusing heavily on our senses. Thomas Hobbes is considered the father of British empiricism. He was interested in studying humans as machines and thereby the statement ‘humans are machines’. He troubled himself with studying us using geometry and explaining our life through motion and matter. He did support sensory experiences, and said “The [origin of all thoughts] is that which we can see, for there is no conception in a man’s mind, which hath not at first, totally, or by parts, been begotten upon the organ of senses. The rest are derived from that original. (Hobbes, 1651/1962, p.21). For Hobbes, all ideas, came from experience or more specifically, from sensory experience. Taking the position of an empiricist, I will agree with Hobbes. The only way to acquire knowledge is through our senses. The nervous system has traditionally five senses (organs and receptors) which constitute a system: Sight, hearing, taste, smell, and touch. Everything we know is either felt, seen, tasted, touched or heard. This is of course for the sake of parsimony, not considering innate knowledge. Memory is formed by three processes which are encoding, storage and recall. An individual has a memory when they can recall what they stored after encoding. For instance, I do not have memory of an experience if I cannot recall information about it i.e. the time, place, individuals, even the experience. This might be far-fetched but memory is impossible without experience. If that is admissible, then Hobbes was right, again, not considering innate memory. Taking