Chapter 11

Question 1

working memory (definition)

Answer 1

working memory is the retention of recently acquired information just long enough to complete a task

Question 2

reference memory (definition)

Answer 2

reference memory is the retention of recently acquired information just long enough to complete a task

Question 3

delayed-matching-to-sample procedure

Answer 3

A procedure in which participants are reinforced for selecting a test stimulus that is the same as a sample stimulus that was presented at the start of the trial some time earlier.

Involves working memory (for specific samples) and reference memory (for basic task structure)

Question 4

trials-unique procedure (definition)

Answer 4

A matching-to-sample procedure in which different sample and comparison stimuli are used on each trial

Question 5

S-R vs same-as rule in delayed-matching-to-sample procedure

Answer 5

Experiments that employ relatively few (six to eight) different sample stimuli tend to result in the learning of specific stimulus-response relations

Experiments that employ a couple of hundred possible samples promote the learning of a general same-as rule

Question 6

What does rhodopsin do?

Answer 6

It lets Na+ into the cell when activated by blue light

Question 7

stimulus coding

Answer 7

How a stimulus is represented in memory

Question 8

beacons

Answer 8

beacons are cues at the location of the goal

Question 9

landmark

Answer 9

a distinctive stimulus that is not at the goal location but had a fixed relation to the goal

Question 10

geometric cues

Answer 10

the shape of the arena

Question 11

retrospective coding

Answer 11

memory code for a previously experienced event or response

Question 12

prospective coding

Answer 12

memory code for an expected future event or response

Question 13

mental time travel

Answer 13

mentally moving forward or backward in time

Question 14

rehearsal

Answer 14

maintaining information in an active state, available to influence behavior or influence the processing of other information

Question 15

directed forgetting

Answer 15

forgetting that occurs because of a stimulus (a forget cue) that indicates that working memory will not be tested on that trial. Directed forgetting is of interest because it is an example of the stimulus control of memory

Question 16

retrieval failure

Answer 16

A deficit in recovering information from a memory store

Question 17

retrieval cues

Answer 17

stimuli related to an experience that facilitates the recall of other information related to that experience

presented at the time of testing to enhance retrieval and memory performance

Question 18

memory priming

Answer 18

the retrieval cue is presented at the end of a long retention interval, but memory is not tested until the next day

Question 19

memory failure

Answer 19

The inability to accurately recall something from memory. Memory failure can occur because the information was never acquired in the first place (acquisition deficit), because it was lost during the retention interval (forgetting), or because it cannot be retrieved (retrieval deficit).

Question 20

proactive interference

Answer 20

Disruption of memory caused by exposure to stimuli before the event to be remembered

Question 21

retroactive interference

Answer 21

Disruption of memory caused by exposure to stimuli following the event to be remembered

Question 22

retrograde amnesia

Answer 22

A gradient of memory loss going back in time from the occurrence of brain injury or disturbance of the nervous system. Amnesia is greatest for events that took place closest to the time of injury and less for events experienced earlier.

Question 23

synaptic consolidation

Answer 23

changes in synaptic efficacy that presumably underlie learning.

time scale of minutes

Question 24

systems consolidation

Answer 24

involves changes in how memory is represented in hippocampal or cortical circuits

days or weeks