Learning and memory 14 Flashcards
What is important for survival?(1)
The ability to associate beneficial or adverse sensory stimuli with behavioural experiences is important
for survival.
What enables an animal to elicit proactive behaviors?(1)
Storing and retrieving information about previous events enables an animal to elicit
proactive behaviours.
What attributes are important to an animals survival skill? What does it contribute to?(1)
Forming associations with positive or negative experiences, such as
remembering the location of food and water, anticipating strategies of predators based on prior
experience, and learning and respecting social relationships are important attributes to an animal’s
survival skills, and thus contribute to an individual’s fitness
How is consolidation of information classified?(2)
Consolidation of information can be
classified into short-term and long-term memories. The resulting memories, in turn, can be
categorized as declarative or procedural.
How are different types of memories processed?(2)
Different types of memories are processed by different
neural circuits, and circuits that mediate memory recall are distinct from those that mediate memory
storage.
What does evidence suggest about memories?(1)
Evidence suggests that memories are plastic and can be modified during recall
What have studies shown about humans learning ability?(1)
Studies on humans have shown that learning ability, as reflected in IQ scores, is highly
heritable.
Do different memories have the same function? (1)
Give examples of short term and long term memory?(2)
Short-term memories and long-term memories serve different functions. (Example of parking at the
mall-> short term; designated parking spot on campus / way from home to campus ->long term).
What does one invariably find when comparing different learning paradigms for the formation of long term memories?(2)
a. What does this tell us about how students should study?(1)
b. What does the spaced learning pattern ensure?(1)
c. Advantage and disadvantage of masses learning?(2)
When different learning paradigms for the formation of long-term memories are compared in a variety
of model organisms, one invariably finds that repeated training sessions separated by time intervals
(spaced learning) are far more effective for the consolidation of long-term memory than a single
continuous intensive training session (masses training).
a.Student should study repetitively over a
period of time (spaced learning) rather than doing the cramming session (masses training) the night
before the exam.
b.The spaced learning pattern will ensure that the information is processes and stored
as long-term memory.
c.Even though the masses training will retain the information in the short-term
memory, and help the student to pass the exam the next morning, over time, this information will be
forgotten
How is long-term memory classified as?(2) define each(2)
Long-term memory can be classified as:
- Declarative memory: storage of factual information
- Procedural memory: execution of skills that cannot be readily verbalized (learning to swim /
play piano).
How is declarative memory classified?(2) Give a description aswell as an example.(2)(2)
o Semantic memory: conceptual knowledge that is independent of specific facts
(vegetables are good for you; carrots gives you good eyesight, pumpkin gives you curly
hair).
o Episodic memory: recollection of specific events, times, and places not static and
can be modified and reconsolidated on recall.
What have studies on the cellular and neural mechanisms that mediate learning and memory made use of?(1)
Studies on the cellular and neural mechanisms that mediate learning and memory have made
extensive use of behavioural assays that are based on associative learning or operant conditioning.
a. When are short-term memories formed?(1)
b. When does consolidation of long-term memories take place?(1)
c. What does the formation of long-term memories require?
a.Short-term memories are formed as training proceeds.
b.Consolidation of long-term memories takes
place subsequent to the training session.
c.The formation of long-term memories requires protein
synthesis, which depends on gene expression, which ultimately leads to long-lasting structural
changes in neuronal connections
Several independent mutant screens (on flies) have identified a diverse array of genes that affect
learning and memory.
These genes generally fall into which two categories?
- Genes that prevent short-term memory formation
- Genes that affect the retention of information in long-term memory
The genetics of dyslexia:
a. How did speech evolve?(1)
b. What about writing and reading?(1)
c. What is acquiring reading skills to understand written language?(1)
d. How have genetic studies on dyslexia been informative?
a.Speech evolved as an intrinsic behavioural trait during human evolution,
b.but writing and reading are
cultural innovations that appeared in human history only a few thousand year ago.
c.Acquiring reading skills to understand written language is purely a learned behaviour.
d. Genetic studies on dyslexia have
been informative in identifying alleles that impact the ability to learn written language.
