Chapter 1 Flashcards
The standard model of memory is predicated on the metaphor of the mind as a computer in which memory consists of three stores:
Sensory memory holds information about a perceived stimulus for a fraction of a second after the stimulus disappears, which allows a mental representation to remain in memory. Information that makes the greatest impression is passed on to short-term memory, which holds it in consciousness for about 20 to 30 seconds. Important information is then passed on to long-term memory where representation of facts, thoughts, feelings, skills, and expectancies may reside for as long as a lifetime.
In the modern view, memory consists of modules which:
Modules are discrete but interdepedent processing units, responsible for different kinds of remembering. the modules operate in parallel with each other rather than serially
The information that is stored in a sensory mode is referred to as:
sensory repreentations store information in a sensory mode, such as the sound of a dog barking or the image of a city skyline
The medial temporal region plays a key role in memory consolidation, which refers to
the medial temporal region, particularly the hippocampus, plays a key role in the consolidation of explicitly, declarative ifnormation
Schemas:
schemas are patterns of thought or organised knowledge structures that render the environment relatively predictable. they affect how we remember in two ways: by influencing the information that is encoded and by shaping the way that previously stored data are reconstructed
Cognitive psychologists distinguish between two kinds of interference when explaining memory failure:
proactive interference is the inference of previously stored memories with the retrieval of new information; retroactive interference occurs when new information interferes with the retrieval of old information
The process whereby one node triggers the activation of closely related nodes is known as:
according to spreading activation theory, activating one node in a network triggers activation in closely related nodes. In other words, presenting a stimulus that leads to firing in the neural circuits that represent that stimulus spreads activation, or energy, to related information stored in memory.
Memory expressed in behaviour that does not require conscious recollection is:
implicit memory is evident in skills, conditioned learning and associative memory.
association between one representation and another
an example of implicit memory is slamming on your brakes hone you see brake lights in car in front of you without consciously thinking that car is braking
_______ are vivid memories of significant events
When events are exciting or highly consequently, we might store that information as if a camera had recorded the moment in time. Despite the vividness and clarity of such memories, they can nonetheless be inaccurate or even entirely incorrect
_______ explains forgetting as a result of a fading memory trace
having a thought or perception produces changes in synaptic connections, which in turn create the potential to remember if the neural circuits initially activated are later reactivared. according to decay theory, these neurophysiological changes fade with disuse
The observation of case studies of neurologically damaged individuals demonstrates that:
Research investigating neurological deficits following brain damage has demonstrated that memory is not a single function but is comprised of several systems.
Retrieval is the process of:
Retrieval refers to the process whereby information is recovered from long-term memory and brought back into short-term memory.
What is not a reason that researchers believe that memory involves a set of modules?
Many researchers view memory as involving a set of modules. Modules are discrete but interdependent processing units, responsible for different kinds of remembering. These modules operate in parallel with each other rather than serially (i.e., one at a time). This view fits with the view of the central nervous system of consisting of coordinated but autonomously functioning systems of neurons.
The amygdala is necessary for
Fear conditioning and avoidance behaviour require an intact amygdala. This is illustrated by the classical conditioning procedure in which a particular sound (CS) is paired with an electric shock (UCS). Patients with a damaged amygdala can explicitly state the connection between the CS and UCS, but their nervous system shows no signs of autonomic arousal (i.e., they know the connection exists but cannot feel it).
Everyday memory is
n their everyday lives, people typically remember for a purpose, to achieve some goal; that is, memory is functional. By studying these everyday memories,
According to spreading activation theory, activating one node in a network:
The presentation of a stimulus that leads to firing in the neural circuits that represent that stimulus results in a spread of activation (energy) to related information stored in memory.
The view of long term memory as a filing cabinet filled with hierarchically organised material, is best illustrated by which of the following kinds of memory
the filing cabinet metaphor suggests that some information is organised hierarchically: broad categories are composed of narrow sub-categories, which in turn consist of even more specific categories. For example, under the broad category of animals you might include dog, which can be further sub- categorised as being a border collie.
because memory is both functional and reconstructive:
The associative processes that help people to remember, can also lead to memory errors. Emotional factors can also bias recall.
Which is not associated with forgetting:
Forgetting curves show a rapid initial pattern of forgetting but seem to follow a logarithmic function (a very precise mathematical function between memory decline and length of time between learning and retrieval). Studies of very long-term memory show that if information is consolidated through spacing over long learning intervals, it will last a lifetime.
Loftus and others conducted several different studies in which subjects
This research showed that even minor variations in the wording of questions can affect memory. For example, participants who were asked “did you see the broken headlight?” (compared to those who were asked “did you see a broken headlight?”), increased the rate that participants reported seeing a broken headlight.
Yu-Wai just met a woman he feels attracted to. He keeps saying her name over and over to himself to make sure he does forget it. Yu-Wai is using _____ to keep this woman’s name in ___ memory
Mental repetition aimed at maintaining information in short-term memory is called maintenance rehearsal.
You are on your way home in your car when your wife calls and asks you to get some things from the grocery. The list of things she wants consists of 10 items. If you consider the items numbered 1-10, which ones are you most likely to bring home
This illustrates the tendency to recall information at the beginning and end of a list rather than the middle. It is known as the serial position effect.
Your general knowledge of what you have learned so far in this course is called
Semantic memory refers to general world knowledge or facts and is one aspect of declarative memory, the memory for facts and events that can be ‘declared’ or articulated.
If I try to remember what i had for dinner last night, as well as what i did after dinner on that night, i am making use of
Retrospective memory is
memory for things from the past, such as remembering what I had for dinner the night before.
