CLO: Part One: Short Answer Flashcards
Principles of the CLOA
- Human beings are information processors (our minds work something like computers) and mental processes guide our behavior
- The mind can be studied scientifically using theories and scientific research methods
- Cognitive processes are influenced by social and cultural factors
Schema theory
A cognitive theory on processing and organizing information; states that all knowledge is organized into units and new knowledge is put into those units
Anterograde Amnesia
Failure to store memories after a trauma
Principle 1
Human beings are information processors (our minds work something like computers) and mental processes guide our behavior (Bottom up processing, top down processing, output)
P1: Bottom up processing
Information comes to the mind from the senses
P1: Top down processing
Information comes from pre-stored information and is processed in the mind based on expiriences
P1: Output
Behavior
Schema
A cognitive structure that organizes knowledge stored in our memory
Retrograde amnesia
Failure to store memories that had occurred before a trauma
Principle 2
The minds can be studied scientifically using theories and scientific research methods
P2: Difficulty
Cognitive processes are difficult to study because they occur rapidly and inside the mind and are not directly observable so researchers must study responses
Principle 3
Cognitive processes are influences by social and cultural factors (culture, schemas)
Explicit memory and parts
Fact based info, conscious retrieval: Semantic: memory of facts, Episodic: Memory of events
Research methods at the CLOA
Case studies
Experiments
Brain imaging tech
Case studies
Used to back up experaments and examine phenomena
Experiments
To determine cause and effect and show a relationship between cognition and environment
Brain imaging tech
Used to connect cognitive processes to certain parts of the brain
Ethical considerations at the CLOA
Consent: brain damaged people cannot give it Anonymity/confidentiality Emotional harm Invasion of privacy Deception Insurance policies
Multi-store model of a memory
Sensory memory
Short term memory
Long term memory
Sensory memory
Each sense has a different store, most sensory input is lost to decay, some is transferred to short term memory
Short term memory
Has a limited capacity of 7 items, limited duration of 15-30 seconds, eventually rehearsal in STM leads to transfer of information into LTM
Chunking
Groups items together to increase storage space in STM
Rehearsal
Repeating information vocally increases amount of time in STM
Interference
Distraction decreases amount of time in STM storage
Long term memory
Unlimited amount of storage space and time, info is encoded semantically, visually, vocally, forgetting occurs due to memory race deterioration and lack of effective cues
MSMM Criticisms
STM and LTM separate units, can’t explain why some things are remembered and some forgotten, does not explain how LTM is accessed to make sense of STM, rehearsal is not the only means of transfer from STM to LTM
Implicit memory and parts
Not consciously retrieved: Procedural: how to do things, Emotional: memory of emotional content
Working Memory Model
Central executive –> Visuospatial sketchpad, Episodic buffer, Phonological loop –> LTM
Central executive
Most important component, responsible for monitoring and controlling the operation of the slave systems, limited amount of storage, plays role in attention, planning and synthesizing info
Phonological loop
Stores a limited number of sounds for brief periods of time “inner ear”: Phonological store + Articulatory control system
Phonological store
Allows acoustically coded items to be stored briefly (1.5-2 seconds)
Articulatory control system
Allows sub-vocal repetition of the items in the phonological store “inner voice”
Episodic buffer
A TV screen that cannot think and cannot replay images
Visuospatial sketchpad
Stored visual and spatial info, “inner eye”
WMM Strengths
Explains how people can perform different cognitive tasks at the same time, explains problems in academic performance
WMM Weaknesses
Control executive remains mysterious: function unclear, does not consider effects of differential processing in LTM
Flashbulb memory theory
A special kind of episodic memory of highly emotional events that appear to be recorded in the brain as though with a camera, more vivid and detailed, presumed to be highly accurate and intact
Emotional memory
Memory of emotional content: Implicit
Process of memory
Encoding: transforming sensory information into a meaningful memory, Storage: creating a biological trace of the encoded info in memory, Retrieval: using the stored info
Three components of emotion
Physiological: arousal of the autonomic nervous system and endocrine system, Cognitive: personal feelings, beliefs, opinions, Behavior: facial expressions, body language, crying
Short route of emotion
Goes from thalamus to amygdala; fast but simplistic reaction
Long route of emotion
Goes from thalamus to neocortex to hippocampus to amygdala; more evaluative response that can adjust our emotions to something more reasonable
Procedural memory
How to do things: Implicit
Lazarus’s theory
A person’s subjective and active appraisal of a situation leads to an emotional feeling
Appraisals
Evaluations related to how the situation will impact one’s personal well being
Positive appraisals
There will be a potential benefit to one’s personal well being –> results in a positive emotion
Negative appraisals
There is a potential harm to one’s well being –> results in a negative emotion
Problem focused coping
Change the situation that caused the emotional stress
Episodic memory
Memory of events: Explicit
Emotion focused coping
Handle the emotions rather than the situation
Chunking experiment
Chunking allows for greater STM capacity as learned by trying to remember clumps of letters
Semantic memory
Memory of facts: Explicit
