Attention, memory and learning

Question 1

Why is learning important?

Answer 1

If we understand how a behaviour is learned then we may be able to modify or change it

Also important to understand how learning may contribute to psychological distress or psychiatric illness

Question 2

What are the types of classical conditioning?

Answer 2

Delayed (forward)
- conditioned stimulus is presented before the unconditioned stimulus is presented and remains “on” until the unconditioned response appears

Backward
- conditioned stimulus is presented after the unconditioned stimulus (typically produces very little learning)

Simultaneous
- conditioned and unconditioned stimuli are presented together - conditioning has occurred when the conditioned stimulus produces the conditioned response

Trace
- conditioned stimulus is presented and removed before the unconditioned stimulus is presented so that only a “memory trace” of the conditioned stimulus is conditioned

Question 3

What does generalisation mean in terms of conditioning?

Answer 3

The conditioned response transfers spontaneously to a stimulus similar to but different from the original
e.g. dog is trained using a particular bell then a bell of a different pitch produces conditioned response

Question 4

What does discrimination mean in terms of conditioning?

Answer 4

The dog is presented with various bells of increasing difference to the original conditioned stimulus and eventually the conditioned response stops altogether

Question 5

How may human phobias be perpetuated?

Answer 5

through avoidance

Question 6

How can phobias be treated?

Answer 6

treated by graded exposure (desensitisation/extinction)

Question 7

What clinical syndromes may demonstrate phobic avoidance?

Answer 7

Simple phobias
Panic disorder/agoraphobia
PTSD
OCD

Question 8

What are the principles of operant conditioning?

Answer 8

Positive reinforcers
- strengthen behaviours which results in their presentation

Negative reinforcers
- strengthen behaviours which results in their avoidance or removal

Punishers
- weaken behaviours which results in their presentation

Question 9

What does it mean by shaping?

Answer 9

Reinforcement of successive approximations
Behaviour modification in children - toilet training, dressing self

Can also be used with more challenging learners- autism or asperger’s

Question 10

What are the main differences between classical and operant conditioning?

Answer 10

• response elicited vs emitted
• pleasurable vs aversive outcomes
• response magnitude vs response rate

Question 11

What is social learning theory?

Answer 11

we learn through watching other’s behaviours
We learn through watching consequences
Modelling
Imitation
Some behaviours are virtually impossible to learn properly without observation

Question 12

What are the links between learning and memory?

Answer 12

inextricably linked
ability to learn depends upon your ability to remember
ability to remember depends on prior learning

Question 13

What are the three stages of memory processes?

Answer 13

1) registration (encoding)
- refers to input (selective attention)
- how are things remembered?

2) Storage
- refers to the way in which sensory information is retained in memory
- Where is memory kept and is there more than one kind

3) retrieval
- refers to the way in which stored information is recovered
- what do we remember and why do we forget ?

Question 14

What is the process of sensory memory?

Answer 14

External stimulus leads to a sensory memory which leads to short term memory and the long term memory

Question 15

What is the magical number for memory capacity?

Answer 15

7(±2)

chunking - seven slots

Question 16

What are ways of trying to remember things?

Answer 16

Arranging letters into words, words into phrases, phrases into sentences

arranging numbers e.g. 4 numbers into one date

Using rules and series (numbers)

Question 17

What are the key facts about short term memory?

Answer 17

Limited capacity
Short duration 15-30 seconds (untrained)
Can be increased by maintenance (rehearsal)
Mainly acoustic, some semantic but visual is also possible

Question 18

What is the serial position effect?

Answer 18

Primary effect:
- items from the beginning were recalled quite well compared to those in the middle but not as well as those at the end

Recency effect:
- typically recalled items from the end of the list first, and got more of those correct than the earlier items

Question 19

What are the key facts about long term memory?

Answer 19

Unlimited capacity
Variable duration (from a few seconds to several years)
Can be permanent
Coding may be semantic, visual, acoustic but also olfactory, gustatory
Cues and context aids retrieval

Question 20

What happens to our memory when we are in a medical consultation?

Answer 20

Patient’s generally remember less than 50% of the information given
Markedly reduced in the elderly

Question 21

What are the different forms of memory impairment?

Answer 21

Global

• dementias
• delirium

Focal

• amnesia
• epilepsy

Functional psychiatric
- schizophrenia/depression

Question 22

What is working memory?

Answer 22

short term memory does not account enough for all which memory does
Working memory functions like a computer processor (your ram)

it is a feature of central execute (higher cognitive functions)

• attention
• concentration
• initiation
• system regulation and programming