memory

1. How do the cognitive processes involved in prospective and retrospective memory differ?

There is no difference in the cognitive processes involved in prospective and retrospective memory.  Both have the same processes of sensory perception, short term memory, encoding, long term memory, retrieval.  Of course, the great Freud would claim that our retrospective memory is dependent on the retrieval of information from the unconscious, as a result of the repressed sexual desires gone unfulfilled and the resulting traumas.  We don’t plan sexual events for the future, so the greatest, and only, in my books, psychologist of all time, did not, in his twenty volumes, write about prospective memory !  I do not know who made up this word and am not interested in regurgitating nonsense from the net !

2. What are the consequences of prospective and retrospective memory failures?

I am a drug and alcohol abuser, combined with the fact that I hallucinate, a chronic schizophrenic with multiple long stays at the psych detention centres around Australia.  I have also suffered from battery, strikes to the head, from which one could say that I have acquired brain damage.  My memory is shocking.  There is no problem however, with my thinking ability.  I am able, and in fact, do manage a large archive of writings, either all from my own prowess or from the psyche … whatever that means.  Of all the writings that I have, academic articles, poetry and recorded music, I remember none.  Most musicians, poets and lecturers are able to, and have to, on repeated occasion, perform, recite or lecture in front of large audiences.  I am not able to do so.  It hasn’t affected my productivity or my ability to recall important information, like the detriments of Classical and Operant Conditioning.  However, it’s a bit like fifty first dates.

3. Conduct a database search and identify two clinical populations* that have been found to have impairments in prospective memory functioning.  For each of the two clinical populations, provide a reference (citation) for one article that investigates prospective memory in these populations.  You are not required to write any further information about these articles.  

Medina, K. L., et.al., “Memory Functioning in Polysubstance Dependent Women”, Drug and Alcohol Dependence, Vol. 84, Issue 3, 1 October 2006, Pages 248-255

Bigdeli, I., et.al., “Prospective Memory Impairments in Schizophrenic Patients”, Iranian Journal of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, 2014, 8(4), 57–63.

4. Describe an example from your chosen career (e.g. social work, oral health, physiotherapy, nutrition, etc.), where a clients’ failure of prospective memory may act as a barrier to effective treatment.

As explained above, I personally suffer from memory problems and can only describe how I forget things to do.  On a regular basis, as a result of my hallucinations, I am presented with stimuli.  Most of this stimuli, wherever it is coming from, is extremely useful, however if I haven’t got a pen and paper handy, it disappears almost as suddenly as it came into my head.  An important point to mention, regardless of the various types of ‘medications’ available, I still hallucinate, and still have no control over retaining the information.  When I am sitting in the park, or on the street, I have thoughts about the assignments that I have to submit.  I make a mental note, however when I get to the computer, cannot for the life of me, remember what was so important.  I also have trouble remembering appointments, like the particular times and days that I have to be at the soup kitchen to wash dishes, however I do not believe it is a problem that is reserved just to drug and alcohol fiends, schizophrenics or those with an acquired brain injury.

5. In the Einstein (2014) article, implementation intentions are identified as a strategy that can be used to improve prospective memory.  Discuss three additional strategies that you could recommend to your client to help them remember to carry out your prescribed treatment or homework exercise.

Freud did not write about ‘prospective’ memory and neither did Einstein !  

1. tell mommy to remind you
2. carry around a pen and paper
3. calendar and notepad apps on phones / tablets