Learning Flashcards
Why are learning and memory important?
To be able to adapt to changes in the environment
Learning
Acquire and process information from the environment.
Changes the nervous system
Memory
Ability to retain this information.
Hypothesized Memory Processes
Incoming info; sight sound smell touch -> sensory buffer (accepts a lot of info, but nothing lasts long here unless we encode it, something you paying attention to) -> encoding ->
short term storage -> consolidation-> long term storage -> working memory-> retrieval -> performance
short term storage (recall info right away) -> working memory (memory you have rn that you need for a particular task) -> retrieval -> performance
Multiple Trace Hypothesis of Memory
sensory buffer- rly strong memory trace, can take a huge amount of info but dies away if you don’t pay attention
short term- smaller capacity but lasts a little bit longer
-> can’t rmbr as many things as you can absorb into sensory buffer
intermediate -> same as short term
long term -> can store lots of info for a long time bc of studying
Memory is…,
very flexible malleable process every time you rmbr a event you relearn it and store it again
Multiple Memory Systems Hypothesis
Memory can be divided into categories that reflect the type of information being remembered.
Each system primarily employs a distinct brain region.
Declarative → Hippocampus
Procedural → Basal Ganglia
Emotional → Amygdala
‘Working With’ Memory → Prefrontal Cortex
Declarative
→ Hippocampus
- can immediately recall and tell someone abt
Procedural
Basal Ganglia
- how to tie a tie, tie shoes, things you just do, don’t necessarily know when or how you learnt it
Emotional
Amygdala
- strongest memories in life are emotional
‘Working With’ Memory
Prefrontal Cortex
- planning and doing
What does long term memory include?
Declarative memory (explicit)
- events
- facts
non declarative memory (implicit)
- procedural
- perceptual
- classical conditioning
- nonassociative learning
Declarative memory
Knowledge we have conscious access to.
Often referred to as explicit memory.
=> can tell ppl abt it, filled with events or facts
ex- capital of MB what you did last summer
events
- episodic memory
facts
- semantic memory
Non declarative memory
stuff you don’t know how or when you learned it
hard to explain to others on how to do
Performance informed by implicit knowledge.
procedural memory
skills
- motor and cognitive
Operant / instrumental conditioning
Pressing a button provides a reward.
Increases the likelihood that the animal will press the button again
non associative learning
something occurring over and over again you stop paying attention to it
Habituation / sensitization
What does short term memory include?
sensory memory
short term/ working memory
What areas of the brain are involved in declarative memory?
Medial temporal lobe middle diencephalon neocortex prefrontal cortex - newer areas of cortex
What areas of the brain are involved in nondeclarative memory?
at low level systems
Sensory memory
Large capacity, but rapid decay.
Sensory association areas involved.
- hearing sight smell touch info
Example: Your mother is lecturing you and you aren’t paying attention, however, if asked, you can repeat the last sentence she said
Short-term memory (Working memory)
Lasts for seconds to minutes. Severely limited capacity. magical 7 ± 2 – digits, letters, etc. Available to conscious awareness. Prefrontal cortex involved. Example: remember a phone number. between looking it up and dialing.
Intermediate-term Memory
Lasts for hours and days.
May be transferred to LTM through rehearsal.
Example: remembering where you parked your car.
Decay theory
memory fades away with time, unless there is rehearsal.
Example: reviewing notes after class.
Interference theory
memory for other material interferes with information we are trying to remember.
Better recall when presentation of information is spaced.
Example: studying versus cramming.
spaced learning= do better on your test
