The Man without a Memory

This paper provides an analysis of the Man Without a Memory – Clive Wearing.  We will attempt to describe the relationship between learning and remembering it, memories; and how emotions are linked to our memories

Relationship Between Learning and Remembering It

The relationship between learning something and remembering is when one is learning they must remember how to do it again in order to complete the same task later on. If one learns something they do so by remembering how and repeating the process at which was taught or learned to do it right. Learning and remembering is a direct result of a person's memory and recall abilities because when one learns this information is stored to retrieve later at which is when one needs to remember both fall hand and hand with the ability to recall information. Memorization and learning have a relationship, because one will learn to do things based on encoding, storing, and retrieving information that one has seen, heard, or understood in their life at which is based on memory and recall. One's ability to learn and remember will also be based on brain functioning and ability to learn based on memory and comprehension.. 

Clive’s Brain Damage

The definition of learning involves "a change in the content or organization of long term memory and/or behavior."; while the definition of memory is "the faculty by which the mind stores and remembers information". When it comes to the definition of learning, the first part of the definition focuses on what is known while the second focuses on concrete behavior. For example, many people will avoid foods that they consumed shortly before becoming ill due to both their memory and learning of that particular experience. Learning is not all knowledge based. For example, "we may experience the sales people in one store being nicer to us than those in the other. We thus may develop a preference for the one store over the other" (Perner, 2010, pg. 1) because of what is learned and remembered from the experience of that store.

Memory Loss for Clive

Clive memory loss was brought on by the onset of an untreated disease, which caused the loss of his short term memory. As a result of the various forms of Syphilis it has the potential to eat away at the brain. Clive loss was due to his hippocampus, which is the portion of the brain that is responsible for short-term memories. He can only recall events prior to the onset, and without short-term memory he is not able to create long-term memory. So his love and passion for the things that matter are due to the memories stored before the event

 Memories

Life without memories has to be a very lonely time.  Clive is only able to remember things for a few seconds.  One of the things that stood out the most is the inability to remember his son’s name.  Memories are part of our history and our being.  Without them, does one truly exist? That is the question that has to be the hardest to answer not only for Clive but for his family members.  As I ponder the question myself, I think about not being able to remember simple things such as how I sat down, what day it is, my child’s name, birthdays, and holidays.  Those few items would be extremely frustrating as well as depressing.  There is not one particular event that would be missed the most, it would be everything.  Life would not be the same. 

Emotions and Memories

The experiences that a person has gone through in life of specific events are the things that make up the person’s memory.  A person’s emotions are linked with their memories due to the emotions that they experienced associated with the event.  A person may display a change in memory resulting from a trauma in order to diminish the emotional pain related to the experience.  Trauma can impact the way memories are stored or determined in survivors of trauma which may stop the retrieval of memories and attempt to diminish the emotional distress associated with the trauma (Williams, 1996). Emotions that happen as a result of an event or stimuli can affect memory such as intrinsic details being better remembered than neutral items without emotional ties.  The ability to learn new information is one aspect of memory according to LeBar and Cabeza (2006), and emotional memory is another aspect which updates stimulus-punishment or reward paradigms.

Conclusion

Overall, life for Clive has changed dramatically since his illness.  Clive is able to recall certain events but not able to recall others.  An individual needs to have a healthy hippocampus in the brain in order to have the ability to learn, recall and retain information  

References

LaBar, K.S., and Cabeza, R. (2006). Cognitive neuroscience of emotional memory. Nature Review Neuroscience, 7, 54-64.

Perner, L. (2010).  Learning and Memory.  Department of Marketing, Marshall School of Business.  University of Southern California.  Retrieved from http://www.consumerpsychologist.com/cb Learning and Memory.html

Williams, J.M.G. (1996). Depression and the specificity of autobiographical memory. Cambridge University Press: New York, pp. 244-267.