The Lotus Project
An exercise in sharing the science of memory in the interest of the common good
PSY 480: Advanced Topics in Cognition.
Over the last 30 years or so in Psychological Science tremendous energy has been put towards gaining deeper insight into the nature of human memory. This work tells a complex story of a psychological skill that operates in the interest of supporting survival in a varied and unpredictable environment. In a senior capstone seminar course, students dove deep into this work. Readings prompted considered examination of the often surprising intersections between cultural zeitgeists, firmly held beliefs, empirical research, clinical practice, and legal issues, all through the lens of the Memory Wars. Lessons learned through our deep dive are shared here, in the spirit of the Lotus Blossom: Beauty can be rooted in mud. The Memory Wars marked a dark time in 20th Century Psych-Science where the exploration of memory malleability took scholars into difficult, challenging spaces where questions about stress, trauma, and the extent to which a personal narrative can change were hotly debated.
While the Memory Wars sadly are not over, from the research debate of the last century we can say today -- in the 21st century -- that what we know about memory is truly beautiful, for its adaptable, malleable, creative nature. Our intent with this site is to share with you this beauty, but to include with this story of adaptive malleability a cautionary tale of what can go wrong when we demand of our memory systems outcomes they are not built to deliver on. If you have questions about how your memory works, and how we can work to support our memories in key human contexts -- Parenting, Counseling, and the Law -- you will find answers here!
Memory is Adaptable
Because it bends to our needs, we should use it with care. Each project featured in the panels here offers visitors food for thought on this key take away from modern memory science. When we know where memory bends, we can shape it to our advantage and protect ourselves from harm.
Dr. Erica Kleinknecht
My students call me "Prf. K." and I've been teaching undergraduate Psychology for 20 years. My course array includes Intro, Cognition, Development, and Senior Capstone Seminars. My research specialties center on applied cognition and feature memory, metacognition, and the positive impact of gaming and game design on cognition and learning in middle childhood.
Should you have questions about the work presented here, please contact me at eko at pacificu dot edu
Interested in seeing more projects like this one? You can access a complete catalogue of students' Authentic Learning work here.