In order to understand the phenomenon of selective memory, we have to properly understand what memory in itself means as a psychological phenomenon. Memory refers to the psychological processes of acquiring, storing, retaining, and later retrieving information.
Almost everyone knows that memory problems are annoying, such as forgetting homework or a birthday, or could be a sign of serious issues such as Alzheimer's or amnesia, but people, especially teenagers seem not to have a proper understanding of a widespread phenomenon that is selective memory. A lot of highschool students these days do not recall major events within their primary to middle school phase, especially if they didn’t necessarily have the best experience during those years.
That’s when selective memory bias comes in, the tendency to selectively recall memories that are congruent with a current emotional state is called memory bias. As Gen Z becomes the most stressed generation, as well as one that’s most liable to mental health issues, this bias has been rooted in behavior. Whether it’s confirmation, cultural, emotionally or collectively influenced bias, being aware of its effects can lead to prevention of it. With that comes prevention of negative impact on major decisions and ensures the necessary open-mindedness when considering alternative view-points.
One of the most important ways in which a culture's beliefs, practices, and ideas influence cognitive processes is through the mental concepts, or self-construals, that people use to think about themselves and their relationships with others. In particular, historical cultural psychology research has identified two main dimensions of self-construal: autonomy (or individualism) and interdependence (or groupism). However, for Chinese participants, there was no difference in activity in MPFC (medial prefrontal cortex) during self-processing and mother processing, indicating that Chinese participants relied on using MPFC as a representation for themselves and excluded others. Because people are the focus of our social and interpersonal interactions, this finding that culture can influence these representations at the neural level is surprising and important for how we interact with some cultures.
Selective Memory Bias shows one of our major flaws of the human nature from a cognitive standpoint . This bias can significantly impact our personal lives, shaping our perceptions, decisions, and relationships, as well as influencing societal memories and historical narratives. Recognizing and understanding the existence of selective memory bias is crucial for fostering empathy, improving communication with your loved ones, and promoting a more nuanced understanding of the past.
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