ABSTRACT
A large variety of external memory aids has been developed to alleviate the effects of amnesia
Psychological and physiological events can either strengthen or weaken the formation of memories. Some of these events, such as arousal, may occur immediately before or during the perception of a salient stimulus, enabling an organism to better attend to the stimulus and thus learn about it more efficiently (Eysenck, 1982). From the psychological perspective, a sense of control over memory functioning is at the heart of an adaptive view of memory (Cavanaugh & Green, 1990). From this perspective, memory is seen as a body of skills that can be developed and maintained with effort. A view of memory as a body of acquirable skills may predispose people to persist in developing strategies to cope with memory problems and to make adaptive attributions in the face of difficulties. These tendencies may protect people against decreases in efficacy expectations and actually enhance them by fostering effective problem solving.
