Brain and Memory (Psych/Soc) Flashcards
3 subunits of the brain
Hindbrain, Midbrain, Forebrain
Structures of the Forebrain
Cerebral Cortex Basal Ganglia Limbic System Thalamus Hypothalamus
Structures of the Midbrain
inferior and superiorcolliculi
Structures of the Hindbrain
Cerebellum, Medulla Oblongata, Reticular Formation
Basic Functions of the Cerebral Cortex
Complex Perceptual, cognative and behavioral processes
Basic Functions of the basal ganglia
Movement
Basic Functions of the Limbic System
Emotion and memory
Basic Functions of the Thalamus
Sensory relay station
Basic Functions of the Hypothalamus
Hunger and thirst, emotion
Basic Functions of the Inferior and Superior Colliculi
Sensorimotor reflexes
Basic Functions of the Cerebellum
Refined motor movements
Basic Functions of the Medulla Oblongata
Vital functions (breathing, digestion)
Basic Functions of the Reticular Formation
Arousal and Alertness
Where are long term memories stored?
Hippocampus
Why do extremely long term memories survive hippocampus damage
They are eventually moved back to the cerebral cortex.
What type of memory stores conditioned responses
Implicit (Non-declarative/Procedural) Memory
What are the 2 types of Explicit memory and what do they store?
Episodic - Events, experiences
Semantic - Facts, concepts
What are the Primacy Effects and Recency Effects? Which effect lasts longer?
It is easier to remember the first few and last few items in a list. The primacy effect outlasts the recency effect
Negative Reinforcement
Taking away something unpleasant to reward a behavior
Positive Punishment
Introducing something unpleasant in order to discourage a behavior
Positive Reinforcement
introducing something pleasant in order to reward a behavior
Negative punishment
Taking away something pleasant in order to discourage a behavior
What is escape learning
Behavior learned in order to reduce or eliminate something perceived as unpleasant
What is avoidance learning?
behavior learned in order to avoid something unpleasant that has yet to happen.
What is an example of a conditioned reinforcer
clickers used to train animals
What is a fixed ratio (FR) reinforcement schedule? Why is it called a Ratio?
Reinforcement introduced after a fixed number of performances. It is a ratio of Performances:Reward
What is a Variable interval (VI) Reinforcement Schedule?
Reinforcement is introduced when the subject has performed the behavior once after a varying amount of time has passed since the last reinforcement was given
What is a Variable Ratio (VR) reinforcement schedule? Why is it called a Ratio?
Reinforcement introduced after a varying number of performances with a relatively constant average. It is a ratio of Performances:Reward
What is a Fixed Interval (FI) Reinforcement Schedule?
Reinforcement is introduced when the subject has performed the behavior once after a fixed amount of time.
Which method of reinforcement is the fastest? The slowest?
Fastest: Variable Ratio
Slowest: Fixed Interval
What is Shaping?
the process of awarding increasingly specific behavior
What is Latent Learning?
Learning w/o a reward that is spontaneously demonstrated when an award is introduced
Define Preparedness in the context of learning
the ability for an animal to learn more easily behaviors which coincide with their natural instincts
What is Instinctive Drift?
The opposite of Preparedness. (Difficult to teach behavior that is counter-intuitive for the subject)
What are Mirror Neurons? Where are they located?
They allow us to mimic movements and “feel” others’ emotions.
They are located in the frontal and parietal lobes
What is modeling
learning what is or isn’t acceptable by observing others
What are the methods of encoding from strongest to weakest?
Semantic (contextual)
Acoustic
Visual
What is the Self-Reference effect?
The phenomenon that causes it to be easier to remember things when they are put in a context that is meaningful to the learner
What type of memory works like RAM in a computer?
Working memory
What is the method of loci
Associating items in a list to places in a specific route through a building that has already been memorized
What is chunking/Clustering
Grouping larger lists into smaller, more meaningful chunks
STOPPED AT PG 6 IN NOTABILITY AT SENSORY MEMORY
STOPPED AT PG 6 IN NOTABILITY AT SENSORY MEMORY