The inner psychological process of repression is the key condition of the unconscious and thus the psychoanalysis, the Viennese neurologist Sigmund Freud (May 6, 1856 in Freiberg (Moravia), † 23 September 1939 in London) established. New research now clearly demonstrate that repression exists.
Since it is the psycho-analysis, are made by their opponents their central concepts in question. This also applies to the displacement, despite the existence of all documents from the free association of analyzed persons being denied again and again. Since there are no displacement no unconscious in the psychoanalytic sense There is, and is the truth of psychoanalysis with the presence or absence of an intra-psychic repression.
The American psychologist Michael C. Anderson and his colleagues at the University of Oregon have demonstrated the process of displacement with a sophisticated experimental setup for the first time experimentally directly and also still identify the brain structures that are involved.
The subjects taught in a training phase, initially memorized pairs of words that were not related to each other, such as "Roach" (cockroach), and "Ordeal" (verification).
then In a further attempt round (Think - Think No phase) each presented only one of the learned words a few seconds. In the first third of the word pairs, subjects were asked to think hard on the other associated word (Respond). In the second third of the subjects should not just think of the corresponding word (suppression). The last third served as control. It was shown no word and made no task (baseline). During the Think - Think No phase were also scanned the brain activity also for the subjects.
In the final test phase asked the subjects to get back to the full word pairs to remember (same sample).
The test procedure using the example of the 3 pairs of words Ordeal Roach (test cockroach), Steam Train (steam railroad), Jaw-Gum (pine gum) with the categories of insect (insect), Vehicle ( vehicle), Candy (sweets) Source: "Neural Systems Underlying the Suppression of Unwanted Memories" in Science (vol. 303, issue 01 from 09 in 2004).
It was found that the words, to which should not remember the subjects actually worse or not at all been memorable, even if was offered money for the right answer. By multiple Implementation of the Think-No Think phase, the effect could be strengthened.
shows the final result of several experimental runs, the displacement actually works. Source: Neural Systems Underlying the Suppression of Unwanted Memories "in Science (vol. 303, issue 01 from 09 in 2004).
The same thing happened even as in another series of tests (independent sample) to the affected words, suggestive of an additional category and even the first letter was presented. This proved that the words actively repressed and not only by alternative word associations, or simply been forgotten were superimposed.
The matching test results on the memory tests with trained word pairs and the cross-checking with appropriate categories and the first letters indicate the remembrance of its word that the forgotten words actually actively repressed (3), and not by alternative associations superimposed ( forgotten how to 1) or their combination was simply (2). Source: "Suppressing unwanted memories by executive control" in Nature (vol. 410, edition of 15.01.2001).
With the help of an imaging method that makes visible the metabolic activity in different brain regions could Scientists for the displacement characteristic changes in the brain make up. While activity in certain regions of the prefrontal cortex (PFC, prefrontal cortex) increases, they went in the hippocampus (HC) decreased significantly.
Using an fMRI scans (fMRI = functional magnetic resonance imaging) were also the areas are located, which are involved in the repression: Certain regions in the prefrontal cortex in control functions show an increase in activity, while conscious of the has (declarative) memory competent hippocampus reduced activity. Remember to be conscious as it were blocked from above. Source: Neural Systems Underlying the Suppression of Unwanted Memories "in Science (Vol. 303, Issue 01, 9, 2004).
located behind the forehead, the prefrontal cortex (PFC) is the top center of the action control and ensures that the actions of the situation is appropriate. The activated areas in the displacement are also active in the (sudden) termination of body movements. Anderson cites a very good example: A person noted how a plant is threatening to fall from a window sill, and is applied to catch this yet, but then remembers the last moment that it was at the plant a Cactus with many spines is thought quickly and then breaks off the rescue operation.
The hippocampus, a pair created in the shape of a sea horse reminds structure (hence the name) organizes the mind-capable (declarative) memory, the memory content by the corresponding cortical areas (association areas) assigns. The hippocampus is the brain region crucial for the formation of long-term memory for spatial orientation and spatial memory, and for calling gespr eichert memories.
block appeared at the displacement of the activated regions of the prefrontal cortex from above the Hippocampus, rendering the retrieval of otherwise capable of becoming conscious memories. Repression is thus an active process and thus very different from simple forgetfulness. Just had already seen Sigmund Freud.
A measure of the strength of repression Anderson and his colleagues may have also been found already. It is to consist in the strength of activation of a specific part of the prefrontal cortex, which was measured in an attempt to suppress the conscious memory of certain words.
Sources: Michael C. Anderson and colleagues: "Suppressing unwanted memories by executive control" in Nature (vol. 410, edition of 15.01.2001) and "Neural Systems Underlying the Suppression of Unwanted Memories "in Science (vol. 303, issue 01 from 09 in 2004), Wikipedia
Jens Christian Heuer
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