
Memory
Fergus Craik(Author)
MIT Press
Published on 14. February 2023
Book
Paperback/Softback
240 pages
978-0-262-54520-4 (ISBN)
Description
A short, accessible primer on human memory, its workings, feats, and flaws, by two leading psychological researchers.
Why do we vividly recall a traumatic childhood event but forget where we left our keys five minutes ago? How can a scent take us back fifty years while a colleague's name eludes us? In this compact introduction, two leading psychological researchers describe memory-how it works and why it sometimes doesn't; how it can be tricked, trained, or improved; and what changes with time.
In a manner as engaging as it is informative, Fergus Craik and Larry Jacoby explain the strengths and weaknesses of memory. They trace evolving ideas about memory's function and present a down-to-earth account of modern views. Citing the latest research, they outline the processes for acquiring and retrieving memories and explore the distinction between conscious and unconscious processes. With insights into the workings of the brain, Craik and Jacoby also provide a succinct account of feats and failures of memory, emotion and false memories, and the effects of aging. Their book draws a clear picture, at once broad and concise, of current and classical views of memory, that most essential and often mysterious feature of human life.
Why do we vividly recall a traumatic childhood event but forget where we left our keys five minutes ago? How can a scent take us back fifty years while a colleague's name eludes us? In this compact introduction, two leading psychological researchers describe memory-how it works and why it sometimes doesn't; how it can be tricked, trained, or improved; and what changes with time.
In a manner as engaging as it is informative, Fergus Craik and Larry Jacoby explain the strengths and weaknesses of memory. They trace evolving ideas about memory's function and present a down-to-earth account of modern views. Citing the latest research, they outline the processes for acquiring and retrieving memories and explore the distinction between conscious and unconscious processes. With insights into the workings of the brain, Craik and Jacoby also provide a succinct account of feats and failures of memory, emotion and false memories, and the effects of aging. Their book draws a clear picture, at once broad and concise, of current and classical views of memory, that most essential and often mysterious feature of human life.
More details
Series
Language
English
Place of publication
Cambridge (Massachusetts)
United States
Publishing group
MIT Press Ltd
Illustrations
6 black and white illustrations
Dimensions
Height: 124 mm
Width: 175 mm
Thickness: 21 mm
Weight
216 gr
ISBN-13
978-0-262-54520-4 (9780262545204)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions

Person
Fergus Craik taught in the Department of Psychology at the University of Toronto and then worked at the Rotman Research Institute in Toronto until his retirement. He is a Foreign Honorary Member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. Larry Jacoby was a faculty member in the Department of Psychology at Washington University in St. Louis. He is a Member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.
Content
Series Foreword vii
Preface ix
1 Understanding Memory: An Evolving Story 1
2 From Stores to Processes 27
3 Common Problems and Goals: More on Encoding and Retrieval 55
4 Forms and Memory: Processes, Dissociations, and Attributions 83
5 Creating Memories: True and False 111
6 Aging and Memory 139
7 Memory and the Brain 169
8 Memory Abilities: Excellence, Maintenance, and Repair 195
Postscript 223
Glossary 227
Notes 235
Further Reading 245
Index 247
Preface ix
1 Understanding Memory: An Evolving Story 1
2 From Stores to Processes 27
3 Common Problems and Goals: More on Encoding and Retrieval 55
4 Forms and Memory: Processes, Dissociations, and Attributions 83
5 Creating Memories: True and False 111
6 Aging and Memory 139
7 Memory and the Brain 169
8 Memory Abilities: Excellence, Maintenance, and Repair 195
Postscript 223
Glossary 227
Notes 235
Further Reading 245
Index 247