A functional memory system is essential for independent living. Without our memories we would be trapped in an eternal present, unable to reminisce about the past or plan for the future. We investigate the processes that underlie memory using a combination of behavioural experiments and neuroscientific techniques such as functional MRI and neuropsychology. The aim of this approach is to pursue a unified study of memory in which brain structures are linked to their functions. Ultimately this will lead to an understanding not only of normal human memory but also of how memory can be affected by neurological damage (for example, Alzheimer’s disease or stroke).
Conscious versus unconscious processes
- What sort of things can we unconsciously learn about?
- What are the mechanisms by which we acquire unconscious knowledge?
- To what extent is hypnosis the carrying out of unconscious intentions?
People: Zoltan Dienes
See also: Zoltan Dienes Webpage
Episodic memory
- How do we update and change memories over time?
- How do we remember locations in the world and the events that happened there?
- What links memory and imagination?
- What is the functional role of the hippocampus and related brain regions?
- What are the contributions of recollection and familiarity processes to memory?