Forgetting and Amnesia

Question 1

causes of forgetting

Answer 1

1. failure to encode
2. memories fade or decay over time
3. consolidation process interrupted by encoding and doesn’t full develop and is therefore forgotten
4. memories are blocking or getting in way of recalling desired memory
5. some forgotten bc we deliberately attempt to keep them out of our mind

Question 2

adaptive forgetting

Answer 2

• Shereshevsky (man who never forgot)

- found difficult to live everyday life

Question 3

amnesia

Answer 3

1953, patient w severe epilepsy had their medial temporal lobes removed, which resulted in permanent memory deficit
- unable to learn new info

Question 4

anterograde amnesia

Answer 4

inability to form new memories

ex: since his surgery, couldn’t remember death of father and other significant events

Question 5

declarative memory

Answer 5

conscious memory for facts and events

Question 6

temporarily graded retrograde amnesia

Answer 6

inability to retrieve memories from just prior to the onset of amnesia with intact memory or more remote events

Question 7

retrograde amnesia

Answer 7

inability to retrieve memories for facts and events acquired before the onset of amnesia

Question 8

extensive retrograde amnesia

Answer 8

an absence of anterograde amnesia is rare
* degree of amnesia depends on damage of temporal lobe
hippocampus = long term memories

Question 9

classic amnesia syndrome

Answer 9

organic amnesia
- distinct from functional (loss of memories w/o damage to brain) or dissociative amnesia (loss of autobiographical memories often bc of trauma)