The Oxford Handbook of Memory

The Oxford Handbook of Memory

Written by the world's leading memory scientists in a highly accessible language, this volume brings together facts and theories of cognitive psychology; memory development in childhood and old age; memory impairment in brain injury and disease; the emergence of memory functions from the brain; as well as reviews of current behavioral, neuroimaging, and computer simulation theories of memory. philosophers and thinkers for hundreds of years. The last decades in particular have seen the emergence of a genuine science of memory, based first on behavioral studies and more recently on the new technologies of brain scanning. These recent studies have resulted in theories that are rich, complex, and far-reaching in their implications. The Oxford Handbook of Memory lays out these theories, and the evidence on which the theories are based. The important new discoveries of the last few years are described, along with their consequences for professionals in the areas of law, engineering, and clinical medicine. Endel Tulving and Fergus Craik, two world-class experts on memory, provide this handbook as a guide to the dynamic and exciting field of memory research. Individual chapters are written by eminent researchers who provide insight into their special areas, and outline challenges for the work that lies ahead. The book is exhaustive in its coverage-examining such topics as the development of memory, the contents of memory, memory in the laboratory and in everyday use, memory in decline, the organization of memory, and theories of memory-making this book ideal for psychologists, memory researchers, neuroscientists, and graduate students of psychology. "This is an epic tome summarizing the general state of knowledge in the science of human memory. Sixty eminent contributors, all of whom have done extensive research in this vast field, contributed a total of 39 chapters which outline experimental results and theory in their areas of expertise. A brief epilogue provides thoughtful commentary on how the field has grown and changed over the past 60 years, form the views of Bartlett and Lashley to current views on neural nets, brain imaging, and the fast pace of current research which provides constant surprises and requires frequent updating. It is safe to say the editors and contributors have succeeded in producing a highly interesting book, remarkable in its breadth and thoroughness. As readers and fellow researchers, we can feel ourselves fortunate that such a diverse and interesting field has been treated so well." -- Psychological Reports, Vol 87, 2000 700 plus pages of what's known and not known about human memory. Both fascinating reading and an excellent reference Endel Tulving, Research Scientist, Rotman Research Institute. Fergus I. M. Craik, Professor of Psychology, University of Toronto.