Chapter 7- Semantic Memory and Stored Knowledge

Question 1

Semantic memory

Answer 1

An individual’s store of knowledge about the world. The content of semantic memory is abstracted from actual experience and is therefore said to be conceptual, that is, generalized and without reference to any specific experience.

Question 2

Retrograde amnesia

Answer 2

Forgetting of information and events acquired prior to the onset of amnesia.

Question 3

Semantic dementia

Answer 3

A severe loss of concept knowledge from semantic memory even though their episodic memory and most cognitive functions are reasonably intact at least in the early stages of the condition. Associated with damage to the anterior frontal temporal lobes.

Question 4

The typicality effect

Answer 4

The finding that the time taken to decide a category member belongs to a category is less for typical than atypical members.

Question 5

Spokes

Answer 5

Modality-specific brain areas in which sensory and motor processing occur. Olfaction, praxis, somatosensory, visual features, verbal descriptors and sounds

Question 6

Hub

Answer 6

A modality-independent unified conceptual representation that provides an efficient way of integrating our knowledge of any given concept.