Beyond Absent Mindedness: The Seven Sins Of Memory

Medically reviewed by Nikki Ciletti, M.Ed, LPC and Majesty Purvis, LCMHC
Updated October 11, 2024by BetterHelp Editorial Team

Everyone can likely recall a moment when their memory failed them. Even if you do not have any health problems that affect your memory, sometimes your recollections just aren’t as reliable as you would like them to be. A psychologist named Daniel Schacter from Harvard University's research department recognized this phenomenon and set out to discover what makes memory fail, identifying seven “sins” of memory. These generally include transience, absentmindedness, blocking, suggestibility, bias, persistence, and misattribution. Although these issues can happen to everyone sometimes, experiencing frequent memory lapses can indicate a deeper problem. If you have concerns regarding your memory, consider speaking with a licensed mental health professional in person or online.

Experiencing lapses in memory?

The research behind Schacter’s Seven Sins of Memory

The Seven Sins of Memory: How the Mind Forgets and Remembers was written by psychology researcher Daniel Schacter and published in 2001. The book outlined his research into why memory cannot be trusted in all situations, and what makes this true. In the book, he outlined the seven sins of memory and how those sins, or problems with memory, can affect your life.

The seven sins of memory may be true for everyone at some point. While people who endure problems with their memory, such as Alzheimer's, dementia, or traumatic brain injury, may experience these inconsistencies with more frequency or intensity, everyone will likely notice these traits of memory to some extent.

Sin 1: Transience

Transience can be defined as the decreasing ability to reach memory over time. Transience often happens naturally with aging, although various factors can speed up the process. Damage to the hippocampus or traumatic brain injury can lead to transience. Some disorders, such as Alzheimer's disease or dementia, can also contribute to transience.

However, for the most part, transience happens over time as we age. Memory typically becomes harder to create and reach over time. As a person nears or exceeds ages 50 or 60, their memory may naturally begin to decline. For some people, a milder degree of transience may begin even sooner.

The science

There have been many studies done on the neurobiology of transience, although more research is likely needed. However, some psychological studies are looking at how transience may be beneficial. One study found that transience in memory can aid decision-making. Transience may enhance flexibility in decision-making and allow for the generalization of knowledge, rather than using specific past events to make decisions.

How to counter transience

Visual or other types of mnemonics can be effective ways to defend the mind from transience. When you come across information that you want to remember, you can associate it with a visual image. You can make this image as ridiculous or bizarre as you like. In fact, the more bizarre it is, the more likely it can be that you will remember it later.

Another way to combat transience is to force elaboration or go into detail. When you are trying to remember something, you might strive to elaborate on that piece of information. If you are trying to remember someone's name and face, you can elaborate in your mind as to how this person is related to you or someone you know. Elaboration generally forces the mind to continue thinking about the information beyond immediate exposure, which can help you remember it later.

Sin 2: Absentmindedness

Absentmindedness is typically when the mind becomes distracted, lacks attention, and forgets something that you were supposed to do. Some classic examples can include walking out of the room without your keys or forgetting to get something out of a cab's trunk. When you aren't paying attention and you forget to do things that should be easy to remember, that is usually referred to as absentmindedness.

The science

There have not been many studies regarding the causes of absentmindedness. It can simply be a fact of life that many people can be absentminded when they’re distracted. However, for some people, absentmindedness can be frequent and a very real problem. A lack of attention and a propensity for memory lapses can be directly correlated.

How to counter absentmindedness

One way to combat absentmindedness may be to think of things you need to do regarding events rather than time. For example, when you need to take medication at a certain time, you might think to yourself that you need to take your medication after you brush your teeth, rather than at 10 o'clock at night. Event-based cues tend to work better than leaving it up to chance or time to remember them.

It can be important that the cues you give yourself are distinct to the thing you are trying to remember. Otherwise, when that cue occurs, you may think of a lot of irrelevant information rather than what it is you need to do. This can be a trick to make sure that the long-term memory is associating what you need to remember rather than useless information.

It can also be helpful to write things down to remember them. If you use this method, make sure that you are writing down all relevant information. You generally want to make sure that you are writing down not just a phone number, but who it belongs to and why you need to call them.

Sin 3: Blocking

Blocking can be thought of as temporarily being unable to reach information from memory. It is generally what happens when you feel that a name is "right on the tip of your tongue" but can't quite recall it. This can also happen frequently with not being able to think of the right word when explaining something to someone or answering a question.

The science

Thought suppression may play a role in the mind’s formation of mental blocks. Other factors, such as inadequate sleep, malnutrition, and vitamin deficiencies, can also lead a person to experience mental blocking.

How to counter mental blocking

When blocking occurs, you might try to think of just a few letters of the word or name you are trying to remember. This could help you remember the word or name faster. You should generally avoid thinking of similar words or words that sound similar but mean different things, as this may not help and could make it take longer to remember the word or name.

You can also try thinking of other situations in which you or someone else used the word or name. Sometimes, connecting the word to a specific situation in your memory bank will help you recall it. You can be proactive to stop blocking from happening by associating words and names with visual images in advance of needing to recall the word.

Sin 4: Suggestibility

Suggestibility is typically the incorporation of misinformation into the memory through leading questions or deception. Suggestibility can be one reason why eyewitness accounts may not always be accurate. The memory of how, when, or where an event occurred can be altered or misconstrued to become false when questions are asked that are designed to lead the witness to a desired conclusion.

The science

According to studies on the topic, retrieval-induced forgetting may make people more susceptible to suggestibility. However, suggestibility may be mitigated by retrieval practice immediately following an event.

How to counter suggestibility

If there is an event that you want to remember, try to make sure that you practice remembering or explaining that event very soon after, preferably before sleeping. If you are in the midst of trying to remember an event, you might prevent suggestibility by recreating in your mind the circumstances or environment in which the event occurred. You can also try recalling the event in different temporal orders, such as from end to beginning instead of beginning to end.

Sin 5: Bias

Bias usually occurs when you hold new information or beliefs that interfere with the recall of information. You may remember something incorrectly because you have a current belief that contradicts the actual memory. Bias can occur in everyone and may be a natural block to accurate memory recall that is very common, especially when remembering events or facts.

The science

One of the areas that bias can come into play is in recalling past emotions. Some memory researchers believe that emotional memory can be resistant to forgetting. However, it’s possible that current emotions, coping efforts, and personality traits may all cause bias when trying to recall past emotions. How you feel about a particular situation today could alter the way you remember feeling about it in the past.

How to counter bias

The best way to combat bias may be through self-examination. Try to make sure that when you recall an event, emotion, or detail, you are doing so with a clear and unbiased mind. If someone believes that you remember something incorrectly, consider how your current bias may be affecting your memory of the situation or event.

Sin 6: Persistence

Persistence in memory may seem like a good thing, but there are many situations in which not being able to forget something can be harmful. For example, people who have gone through traumatic experiences may have an extremely difficult time forgetting the details of those events, which can lead to post-traumatic stress disorder and other mental health conditions.

If you are experiencing trauma, support is available. Please see our Get Help Now page for more resources.

How to counter persistence

Sometimes, writing down the thing you are trying to forget can allow you to put it out of your mind, at least for a time. This can be one reason why it is often suggested for people struggling with persistent memories to keep a journal. Another thing you can do to combat persistence may be to engage in activities that keep your attention from ruminating on that which you do not want to remember.

Sin 7: Misattribution

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Experiencing lapses in memory?

Misattribution can be defined as attributing memories to things that never happened, that you didn't see or hear, or that you believe you witnessed but did not. Sometimes, misattribution leads a person to "recall" something that never occurred. In other cases, misattribution can cause someone to take the information they currently have and believe that they gained that information in a way other than what happened.

The science

When misattribution happens, the individual typically believes that they are remembering correctly and cannot remember the event in any other way. Researchers have discovered that many subjects in a study "remembered" details that were suggested to them but did not happen. They also found that subjects would not always remember the source of the details that they were remembering.

How to counter misattribution

Rather than trying to focus on general recollections of an event, you might focus on details that you remember seeing or hearing, such as the color of a shirt or the sound of a voice. You should also base your memory on actual recollections rather than relying on general familiarity with a subject. It can also be good to avoid general recollection in favor of examining the source of the memory.

Getting help with poor memory

All of the seven sins of memory can happen to someone at one point or another. They can be very common and are not usually cause for concern. However, sometimes, the seven sins of memory occur much more frequently and make it difficult for someone to function. When this happens, they may be facing additional memory problems.

It can be important to address any frequent and debilitating lapses in memory as quickly as possible. If you are having trouble with your memory, it can be best to contact your doctor or a licensed mental health professional. They can examine your symptoms and give you a memory test that may determine whether you are experiencing the normal seven sins of memory or a deeper memory problem.

In searching for traditional face-to-face therapy options, people may have challenges finding the ideal practitioner for their needs. There is also the likelihood of having to sit on a waitlist to wait for an open spot in a therapist’s schedule. Online therapy can be one option for professional support. 

Benefits of online therapy

Through online therapy platforms like BetterHelp, you can complete an initial questionnaire that will match you with a licensed therapist who is specifically qualified to assist you in your area of need in as little as 48 hours. There is generally no need to remain on a waitlist. You can start receiving support promptly at a time that is convenient for your schedule. Additionally, you do not necessarily have to leave the comfort of your home or office. With a safe internet connection, you can meet with your online therapist from a preferred space.

Effectiveness of online therapy

A 2021 study investigated the efficacy of online cognitive stimulation therapy. It stated, “Compared with the active controls, the cognitive stimulation virtual therapy CSVT program showed a greater improvement in general cognitive functioning after the intervention… A trend towards improvement was also identified in short-term/working memory and perceived quality of life.”

Takeaway

The seven sins of memory typically include misattribution, persistence, bias, suggestibility, blocking, absentmindedness, and transience. While it can be common and normal to experience these sins of memory occasionally, frequent memory challenges may indicate an underlying issue. If you have memory or mental health-related concerns, working with a therapist in person or online can be helpful.
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