2006-04-05-childhood

2006-04-05 Childhood Memories—Professional Choice

Writers Directory

Melissa Schwab

Childhood memories influence the
profession you chose to enter

Jewishsightseeing.com, April 5, 2006

By Melissa Schwab

HAIFA —Childhood memories influence which field we choose to study and what profession we go into, claims researcher Yifat Paz of the Department of Psychology at the University of Haifa .

"Early memories, until about age 7 or 8, contribute to the making of one's personality, and this constitutes a significant influence on the decision of what specific field to study," noted the researcher. She stressed that professional tendencies were a personal expression and people choose their working environment as a result of their personality.

Paz's recent study included 239 subjects who recounted their early memories and their current employment and study tendencies.

"Those who chose technical professions like auto mechanic or airplane inspector stated they saw their memories in a structured way. These memories were purpose-driven or physical activity-related," said the researcher.

She recounted the case of a subject who wanted to study medicine. He remembered an injury at age 7, followed by feeling fear and panic. "It appears that memory influenced him in choosing the profession of medicine because of the desire to deal with the situation that he experienced," explained Paz.

The University of Haifa researcher suggests that the study findings can be applied to employment advice. Early memories can be used as a diagnostic evaluation tool to help in choosing a field of study and a profession, Paz said. "Using memories in the counseling process dealing with decision-making can turn counseling into a clearer process," she concluded.

Schwab is an intern in the external relations department of the University of Haifa