ABSTRACT
Recent years have witnessed an explosion of research in the analysis of memory and amnesia. This chapter describes some of the key issues and clarifies problems surrounding them. It offers a spirit of constructive criticism from two experimental psychologists who firmly believe that both the experimental psychology of memory and the analysis of amnesic deficits stand to benefit from increased understanding and utilization of each other's methods, data, and theories. The chapter focuses on several historical features of the relations between experimental psychology and amnesia research, together with an analysis of the losses suffered by each because of its ignorance of the other. Some contemporary problems are outlined that have to be confronted before a further integration of the two fields of research can be effected. The chapter outlines contemporary problems that have to confront before a further integration of the two fields of research is affected. It presents a general framework for the study of memory and amnesia.
