An everyday example of the memory error known as persistence is having a song repeatedly play over and over in one's head. In this situation, the song is involuntarily recalled to the point where it becomes unwanted and interferes with the ability to concentrate on other things.

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Persistence is the seventh of Schacter's memory errors and is characterized by the involuntary recall of unwanted memories. These intrusive recollections, which are often unpleasant or traumatic, can be difficult to suppress and may interfere with an individual's ability to concentrate on other tasks. This phenomenon is considered a failure of the memory system because it involves the persistent and uncontrollable retrieval of memories one would prefer to forget.

Persistence

Spielman, R. M., Jenkins, W. J., & Lovett, M. D. (2020, April 22). Psychology (2nd ed.). OpenStax. https://openstax.org/books/psychology-2e/pages/1-introduction

OpenStax Psychology (2nd ed.) Textbook

An example of persistence is witnessing a disturbing event, such as a severe car accident, and subsequently being unable to focus on other activities, like work, because the memory of the scene repeatedly and involuntarily comes to mind.

Example of Persistence: Traumatic Event Recall

Based on the scenario provided, identify the specific type of memory failure the individual is experiencing and explain why this situation is considered a failure of the memory system.

Analyzing a Memory Failure

Read the following scenario. Identify the specific type of memory failure being demonstrated and explain your reasoning by describing the key characteristics of this error as seen in the individual's experience.

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