My Psychology Origin Story

Summary

Lucy Dan, a psychology graduate student, shares her personal journey into psychology research, driven by her fascination with memory and influenced by the case of HM, a man with a significant memory impairment.

Abstract

Lucy Dan reflects on her path into psychology, which was sparked by a childhood tendency to hold onto experiences and possessions. Her interest in the field grew beyond the stereotypical notions of Freud and the psychoanalytical approach, as she delved into the diverse areas of psychology, including social interactions, comparative cognition, and the mind-body connection. The catalyst for her research focus was the case of HM, a patient whose inability to form new explicit memories due to the absence of a medial temporal lobe became a cornerstone in memory research. Dan expresses gratitude for the opportunity to share her story, which aligns closely with her current studies in psychology.

Opinions

Dan challenges common misconceptions about psychology, emphasizing its broad scope beyond just psychoanalysis.
She is particularly captivated by the study of memory, as evidenced by her interest in the case of HM.
Dan views her own memory as a mental scrapbook, suggesting a personal connection to memory research.
She acknowledges the influence of R. Rangan PhD on her perspective, indicating a respect for mentorship in her academic journey.

S&S Prompt: Psychology

Of the silly questions I get about my graduate degree here are the top few: Can you read my mind? Will you agree with me that we are all a little bit “crazy”? Did you start studying psychology to psychoanalyze yourself and your past?

To that last one, I constantly have to say no.

I have to explain that psychology as a field encompasses more than Freud, branching deep and wide into the social realm looking at interactions between humans at a larger scale,

to investigating human cognition by comparing it to animal cognition in comparative cognition and psychology

to the intersection between mind and body in a myriad of ways including but not limited to how biological rhythms that cyclically occur influence how we think, feel, experience.

But for me it all began with a child’s wish to hoard things and never let go; it began with me trying to mentally scrapbook everything I ever owned, everyone I ever met, every experience I ever had into some memory palace.

Memories — that’s how I came into the world of knowing HM, the man stuck perpetually in one era without a medial temporal lobe, without new explicit memories, only old, propelling forward decades of memory research.

Hi I’m Lucy Dan 蛋小姐 (she/her/她) and I want to thank R. Rangan PhD for this week’s Science and Soul prompt: psychology! This one is right up my alley as a psychology graduate student, so I took this as a chance to share my “psychology research origin story”.

My Psychology Research Origin Story

S&S Prompt: Psychology

Body — An Earth Suit

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