Cognitive Key Question Flashcards
What is the cognitive key question?
How can psychological knowledge help us understand and help those with dementia?
How many people are affected by dementia in the UK?
850,000 (2015)
Estimated 1 million by 2025
What is dementia?
Progressive problem with processing information including memory
What does dementia do to people?
Causes a decline in a person’s ability to think, understand, and remember
Affects a person’s function
How does dementia vary in severity over time?
Forgetfulness, diminished insight, no short term memory, loss of speech
Why is the cognitive key question important?
No cure/treatment available so we have to ensure we can help them however possible
How does MSM explain the cognitive key question?
STM is affected by dementia as the information has never been encoded into STM
We can give them reminders and notes about tasks which they are supposed to complete
How does WMM explain the cognitive key question?
Patients with dementia have a declining CE so they have difficulty paying and shifting attention which leads to lack of functioning
We should only give them one thing to do at a time
Don’t have too many people talking to them at the same time
How does reconstructive memory explain the cognitive key question?
Schemas might be muddled up which is why they confuse and mix things up
We can give them reminders to correct their schema BUT usually you have to go with what they have said and don’t correct them
How does Tulving’s theory of episodic and semantic memory explain the cognitive key question?
Episodic memories decrease over time whereas semantic remains fairly stable
Episodic memories fade from present and spreads throughout the past
We can offer validation therapy if they are going to be confused because they are stuck in time so we make their current situation as close as possible to the situation they are in
How does Baddeley support the cognitive key question?
Found those with Alzheimer’s performed worse on difficult tasks showing problems with central executive (WMM)
How does Jahn conflict the cognitive key question?
Both LTM and WMM decline quickly with the onset of Alzheimers
How does Mohamad support the cognitive key question?
Found putting patients with dementia into a more familiar setting is good for them
autobiographical recall in AD is mainly characterised by loss of associated episodic information, which leads to de-contextualisation of autobiographical memories and a
shift from reliving past events to a general sense of familiarity
How does Peterson and Peterson support the cognitive key question?
Found that rehearsal without distraction helps transfer things to LTM so stopping that from happening with distractions will result in information not being stored in LTM
