Chapter 17: Learning and Memory Flashcards
how do memories start?
as senses; visual, auditory, olfactory and tactile
sensory buffers
element of the type of memory that stores the sensory impression of a scene
short-term memory
form of memory that lasts for seconds, or as long as rehearsal continues, especially while being used during performance of a task
what brain structure does short-term memory use?
prefrontal cortex
working memory
type of short term memory that holds a limited amount of information available for ready access during performance of a task (less than 30 seconds)
intermediate term memory
form of memory that lasts longer than short term memory but shorter than long term memory
long term memory
enduring form of memory that lasts days, weeks, months or years and has a large capacity
stages of memory
- incoming information from senses
- a subset of the sensory information enters sensory buffers is encoded and placed into short-term memory
- if the information is rehearsed or used, it may be consolidated into long-term memory lasting minutes up to a lifetime
- when we probe a participant’s memory, they must retrieve information from LTM and place it into working memory to perform a task, such as reporting the items on a list
- at any stage, information may be forgotten
senses»_space;> sensory buffer»_space;>STM»> consolidated to LTM»_space;» retrieved from LTM for working memory
encoding
stage of memory formation where information entering sensory channels is passed into short term memory
consolidation
stage of memory formation in which information in short-term or intermediate-term is transferred into long term
retrieval
process in memory where a stored memory is used by an organism
what things are picked for long-term memory storage?
rehearsed information
memories connecting with old information
memories connected with emotional arousal
what does emotional arousal activate?
peripheral stress hormone and amygdala
what does the amygdala do?
sends axons to other brain structures to influence how they process information
- can also strengthen other regions
what did patient H.M suffer from after his surgery?
anterograde amnesia
what activates amygdala?
stress hormones which causes cortisol to affect those other brain regions that the amygdala sends axons to
what surgery did patient H.M recieve?
bilateral medial temporal lobectomy
anterograde amnesia
inability to form new memories beginning with the onset of a disorder
what brain structures does the bilateral medial temporal lobectomy remove?
hippocampus, amygdala and cortices around hippocampus
what was affected by his anterograde amnesia?
long-term memory
what theory about memory did patient H.M explain?
storage vs. consolidation because he could remember past memories but could not form new ones
what did patient H.M suggest?
memories are monolithic: there are different kinds of memories
what experiment did they do on patient H.M and what did it show?
mirror tracing
- he was given a task in the form of a motor skill, and he improved everyday but he could not recall doing the task
what two types of memory does long-term memory consist of?
declarative and nondeclarative
declarative memory
things you know that you can tell others
can declarative memory be tested in humans?
yes because they can talk
was patient H.M able to form new declarative memories?
no
what two subcategories is declarative memory broken down into?
episodic and semantic
episodic memories
personal memories of life events
what brain structures to episodic memory involve?
medial temporal lobe and neocortex
semantic memory
general knowledge of the world
what brain structures does semantic memory involve?
medial temporal lobe and neocortex
nondeclarative memory
things you know that you can show by doing
can nondeclarative memory be tested in animals?
yes, and humans
was patient H.M able to form nondeclarative memories?
yes, it showed through the mirror tracing experiment
what are the three subcategories of nondeclarative memory?
skill learning, priming and conditioning
skill learning
learning to perform a task that requires motor coordination
what brain structures does skill learning involve?
striatum, motor cortex and cerebellum
priming
exposure to a stimulus facilitates subsequent response to the same or similar stimulus
example of priming
being more likely to use a word that you heard recently
what brain structure does priming involve?
neocortex
conditioning
neutral stimulus acquires the power to get the response normally received by another stimulus after the two stimuli are paired
example of conditioning
salivating when you see your favorite food
what brain structures does conditioning involve?
amygdala and cerebellum
what brain structures does nonassociative learning involve?
involves reflex pathways
what brain structures does spatial memory involve?
hippocampus and cortex
what type of brain damage did patient N.A suffer from?
damage to diencephalon, parts of the thalamus and hypothalamus connections, including the mamillary bodies