Chapter 8: Memory Part 2

Question 1

forgetting

Answer 1

the inability to recall information that was previously encoded into memory

Question 2

decay theory

Answer 2

theory of forgetting suggesting that memories fade over time due to neglect or failure to access over long period of time

Question 3

what disproves aspects of decay theory?

Answer 3

relearning shows faster speeds

Question 4

describe the forgetting curve

Answer 4

rapid memory loss followed by stable retention of remaining info

Question 5

interference theory

Answer 5

theory that forgetting is influenced by what happens to people before or after they take information in

Question 6

proactive interference

Answer 6

competing information that is learned before the forgotten material, preventing its subsequent recall: OLD INFO INTERFERES WITH NEW

Question 7

retroactive interference

Answer 7

learning of new information that disrupts access to previously recalled information: NEW INFO INTERFERES WITH OLD

Question 8

interference occurs only when…

Answer 8

old and new information conflict with one another

Question 9

motivated forgetting could be the cause of avoiding….

Answer 9

retrieval cues, rehearsing, elaborating, organizing, and ultimately storing the information in memory

Question 10

repression

Answer 10

the most basic defence mechanism; the process of keeping unpleasant memories or thoughts buried deep within the unconscious mind

Question 11

what are three common reasons why we distort or manufacture memories?

Answer 11

source misattributions, exposures to misinformation, effect of imagination

Question 12

source misattributions

Answer 12

remembering information, but not the source it came from; can lead to remembering information from unreliable sources as true

Question 13

exposures to misinformation

Answer 13

new information that is not accurate or misleading , can distort our recall or leads us to manufacture new memories

Question 14

effect of imagination

Answer 14

our own imagination can lead us to recall events that never took place

Question 15

generally, what is most involved in memory?

Answer 15

networks of neurons-however, certain brain areas are particularly important in the formation and retrieval of memories

Question 16

prefrontal cortex

Answer 16

important brain structure located just behind the forehead and implicated in working memory

Question 17

hippocampus

Answer 17

essential for storing info temporarily before sending to various areas of neocortex for long term storage, activated when people recall info about facts and events

Question 18

long term potentiation (LTP)

Answer 18

phenomenon where repeated stimulation of certain nerve cells in the brain greatly increases the likelihood that the cells will respond strongly to future stimulation

Question 19

long term potentiation helps memories form and makes for easier ______

Answer 19

retrieval

Question 20

neural circuits that use ________ are more likely to display LTP

Answer 20

glutamate

Question 21

how is acetylcholine involved in memory?

Answer 21

plays a role in separating the encoding of new and retrieval of old memories, controls sleep/wake cycle which consolidates declarative memory

Question 22

infantile amnesia

Answer 22

inability to remember events from the early years of life

Question 23

prospective memory

Answer 23

ability to remember content in the future (ex. remembering to perform a future action)-declines with age

Question 24

retrospective memory

Answer 24

ability to remember content from the past

Question 25

organic memory disorder

Answer 25

physical causes of memory impairment can be identified

Question 26

amnestic disorder

Answer 26

organic disorders in which memory loss is the primary system

Question 27

retrograde amnesia

Answer 27

inability to remember things that occurred before an organic event

Question 28

anterograde amnesia

Answer 28

ongoing inability to form new memories after an amnesia-inducing event

Question 29

what is a probable cause of anterograde amnesia?

Answer 29

damage to temporal lobes or mammillary bodies; the areas that play a role in transferring info from working to long-term memory

Question 30

dementia

Answer 30

severe memory problems combined with losses in at least one other cognitive function, such as abstract thinking or language

Question 31

dementia is most common in:

Answer 31

the elder population

Question 32

Alzheimer's disease

Answer 32

most common form of dementia, usually beginning with mild memory problems, lapses of attention, and problems in language, and progressing to difficulty with even simple tasks and recall of long-held memories

Question 33

what is a possible cause of Alzheimer's disease?

Answer 33

larger formation of neurofibrillary tangles, senile plaques and low levels of neurotransmitters such as acetylcholine and glutamate which also leads to cell death of neurons by plaque and tangle formation

Question 34

neurofibrillary tangles

Answer 34

twisted protein fibres found within the cells of the hippocampus and certain other brain areas

Question 35

senile plaques

Answer 35

sphere-shaped deposits of a protein known as beta-amyloid that form in the spaces between cells in the hippocampus, cerebral cortex, and certain other brain areas, as well as in some nearby blood vessels

Question 36

what causes increase in risk of dementia?

Answer 36

stroke in men and depression in women