Good Copy Exam 1 Flashcards
define learning vs memory
learning is the acquiring of new information while memory is the retaining and retrieval of that new learned information, persistance
Ebbinghaus
acquisition and retention of a controlled experience (how to learn and then keep). nonsense syllable. forgetting curve.
Explain the results of Ebbinghaus’ forgetting curve
most forgetting occurs in first hour. can be single trace, rapid initial decrease of time and trace strength or dual trace - split into short and long term. short term is rapidly acquired with steep decline. long term established slower and decreases slower
Psychology vs neurobiology study of behavior
psych only interested in experience to behaviour.
neuro interested in brain systems, synapse strength and maintaining and manipulating the molecules involved in neurons of experience to behaviour.
In the midst of a neurobiology revolution because
- mature of many bodies of knowledge/evidence
- maturation and conceptual models
- technological advances
Ribot
- Ribots law - older memories are more resistant
- “Disease of Memory” - that once diseased brain, memories are forgotten in an orderly fashion (recent, personal, habits, emotional)
Korsakoff
Korsakoff’s syndrome (alcoholism) - from a vitamin B deficiency. characterized by anterograde amnesia and then later retrograde
William James
- Functionalist movement - relationship between mental processes and adapting to the environment
- pushed for animal study for humans and how humans are rational and irrational (emotional)
- Proposed memory occurs in stages
Explain the 3 stages of memory that William James proposed
- Afterimage - shortly retained, brief lasting sensation replaced by
- primary memory - partially retained into stream of consciousness, persisting representation of an experience
- secondary memory - retained and can be retrieved and can recede from stream of memory
Golgi
- believed in reticulum theory - NS like spiderweb, all interconnected
- golgi stain - neurons to be visualized
Cajal 2 big ideas
- Neuron Doctrine
- Synaptic Plasticity Hypothesis
Define neuron doctrine
- neuron = fundamental unit of NS
- 3 parts to a neuron
- non continuous
- synapse
- law of dynamic polarization
Define synaptic plasticity hypothesis
strength of synaptic connections, the ability to excite and send action potentials, can be modified by experience and is not fixed. the more the connection is used the more it is strengthened
Cajal’s 3 major contributions
- neuron is an independent unit - not continuous
- figured out logic of the brains wiring - axon could travel short long distances, but always terminated at dendrites
- the synapse - how axon and dendrites are continuous through connected of synapses
Define law of dynamic polarization
electrical activity of neurons always from axon to dendrite
Thorndike
- Animal Intelligence - how learn consequences of their behaviours and then adapt
- Connectionism - learning consists of association between stimuli and response (trial and error)
- instrumental conditioning - learning that reward, reinforcer, or consequence is connected to result of a behaviour
- Puzzle Box Experiment
What are all the theories that Thorndike created
- Law of readiness - (before 1930) - satisfying when ready and can learn, annoying when not ready and forced or ready and not allowed
- Law of Exercise - Law of use - strengthened connections. Law of disuse - connections weakened
(RENOUCED after) - Law of Effect - response leads to reinforcement then strengthened, if response leads to punishment it is weakened (S-R connection)
REVISED half true - not weakened, remains same if punishment
After 1930 added Spread of effect - reinforcement increases probability of response AND increase neighbouring responses even if they were originally punished
Concepts important for instrumental learning
- multiple response - learning involves responding in multiple ways, organisms will keep trying different ways until solve
- set or attitude - recognize individual differences/motivates
- prepotency of elements - only some elements will govern behaviour, some have more of an impact then others
Explain Thorndike’s conditions in order for Punishment to have successful effects
- intensity of punishment
- # of conditioning trials
- interval of time between response and punishment (to allow association) most important
- sequence of conditioned learning stimulus and unconditioned (not learning) stimuli
What was Thorndike criticized for
assuming determinism - that all events are determined by previously existing causes, takes away free will and human values
Puzzle Box Experiment
Thorndike
animal placed in box, if push lever can escape box
more trials less time it touch
conclusion: learning was direct and not mediated by thinking or reason (trial and error)
Define Multiple Memory Systems
specialized systems to store and utilize different kinds of information contained in our experiences. ability to recall episodes. don’t establish emotional based behaviour responses (pin in hand)
1. complete understanding of memory can only be accomplished by recognizing how the content of experiences are important
2. memories are segregated into different brain regions according to content
Short term vs. long term memory
short term - current attention, not retrieved
long term - doesn’t take up current stream and can be retrieved
Define Engram
“memory trace”
set of changes in NS represent stored memory that involves persistent change in relationship between neurons
Lashley
first attempt to locate engram = unsuccessful
found tissue removed (amounts) was more important than the location. larger lesions had more effect on engram
Scoville
did H.M surgery, knew unique location of brain damage and what was removed
with milner provided first real evidence for multiple memory systems
H.M
bilaterally removed medial temporal lobe (hippocampus, amygdala, surrounding cortex) resulting in permanent anterograde amnesia and some retrograde
What tests did HM perform and what were the results
- Delayed comparison test - 2 stimuli presented with space in between, have to indicate whether first and second stimuli were the same.
difficult because anterograde amnesia - Maze learning - visual task to remember route to escape
same difficult - Mirror Drawing Task - trace star through mirror
showed improvement over time, but couldn’t actually remember practicing doing this task. short term memory was intact, but couldnt convert short to long term
4 contributions from HM results
- known specific location of damage
- specific regions critical to memory
- memories function separated from other cognitive abilities
- amnesia restricted to certain kinds of content
medial temporal lobe disrupted episodic memory systems
3 conclusions of HM
- type of learning and memory promoted by medial temporal lobe
- Milner concluded hippocampus critical site for memory
- evidence for hemispheric specialization (left = verbal learn and memory, right = spatial, nonsense figures)
Patient R.B
significant anterograde amnesia, no evidence of retrograde
damage to CA1 region of hippocampus which affects anterograde
failed paired associative learning and delayed recall tasks
Difference between H.M and R.B
area of damage, how retrograde wasn’t affected in R.B.
Patient N.A
verbal anterograde amnesia, because impaired left temporal lobe