Memory: Foundations and Applications

by Bennett L. Schwartz

As author  Bennett Schwartz  says in  Foundations and Applications ,  it is hard to imagine an aspect of psychology more fundamental than memory. This unique text covers key memory models, theories, and experiments, but goes a step further to demonstrate how students can apply these concepts to their everyday lives and improve their own ability to learn and remember. A new, three-pronged organization opens the text with an overview of the psychological science of Memory, builds expertise in advanced topics, and then allows the reader to think about how memory research can benefit society. Neuroscience research is integrated throughout each chapter to demonstrate our understanding of where memory processes occur and how researchers use data to shape memory theories. 

New to the  Fourth

544 pages, Paperback

First published August 12, 2010

Reviews

[Laurie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a text book, not a ‘popular’ science book like those written by Oliver Sacks or V.S. Ramachandran, and so is laid out and written very differently. The book is divided into subjects- the various aspects of memory: working memory, episodic memory, visual memory, semantic memory, false memory, memory disorders, memory in children and older adults, and, finally, memory improvement (there are actually tips on memory improvement in other chapters, too). Each chapter does start with a case history that illustrates the aspect of memory for that chapter, but the rest is solidly researched facts. The text is sprinkled with graphs, illustrations, memory tips, quizzes (with the key at the end of them), review questions, and related on line resources. I wish text books had been written like this when I was in college! It’s readable by anyone, but it’s while it’s not slow going, it’s not fast, either. There are a lot of facts to get through and understand. Four stars, looking at it from the point of view of a casual reader rather than someone reading it for a college class.

[April · Rating 3 out of 5]

Easy to understand and read. Very informative. Got a bit repetitive in parts though. Had to go to another textbook to learn about forgetting, misattribution, suggestibility, etc. It covered all the other portions of memory pretty well otherwise!