Learning and Memory

Question 1

what is Learning?

Answer 1

Ability to acquire new knowledge or

Skills through instruction/experience.

Question 2

what is Memory?

Answer 2

The process by which new knowledge or

Skills are retained over time.

Question 3

memory is catergorized into what?

Answer 3

duration: short or long
type: motor, autobiographical

Question 4

what is long term memory?

what is short term memory?

what is working term memory?

Answer 4

months, years, decades

seconds to minutes

seconds

Question 5

what is working memory?

what are its 3 components?

Answer 5

involves some processing of the information

1. A ‘work-space’
2. A ‘phonological loop’ (for repetition)
3. A ‘visuo-spatial sketch pad’

Question 6

what part of the brain is involved in working memory?

Sensory information is transmitted via the thalamus to where?

how much time does it stay there? (previous question)

Answer 6

frontal lobe

pre-frontal cortex

30 secs

Question 7

frontal lobe damage can result in what type of disorders and why?

Answer 7

disorders of attention; incoming stimuli are not ‘held’ long enough to determine an appropriate action/response.

Question 8

what is Declarative (explicit) memory?

what are the Two types of Declarative Memory?

Answer 8

Previous experiences, recognition, facts, events. Autobiographical.

Episodic and Semantic.

Question 9

what is Non-Declarative (implicit or procedural)?

what are the Two types of Non-Declarative?

Answer 9

How-to’ memories, preferences, skilled movements

Procedural or ‘how to’, and the Perceptual Representation System (PRS).

Question 10

what Brain structures are involved in memory?

what do they do or what is their role?

Answer 10

1. Amygdala: emotional tone in memory.
2. Striatum, motor cortex, cerebellum: learning and retention of motor skills and ‘habits’.
3. Neocortex: long term memory storage.
4. Thalamus: relay of stimuli to regions that determine relevance.
5. Hippocampus: formation of new memories.

Question 11

what is declarative episodic memory?

what is declarative Semantic?

Answer 11

Specific recall of events (time, place, etc)

General recall of facts, concepts, not linked to a particular event.

Question 12

Formation of declarative memory involves which structures?

Damage extending beyond the hippocampus (hippocampal formation, entorhinal cortex) seems to result in…?

Answer 12

temporal lobe, specifically the hippocampus

progressive difficulties in retrograde memory recall

Question 13

what is PRS non-declarative memory?

what is the word form?

Auditory word form?

Structural description?

Answer 13

Identification of words/objects based on

form/structure.

Physical/orthographic features.

Phonological/acoustic info.

How the parts form the whole.

Question 14

what areas or structures in the brain deal with:

1. visual word form
2. auditory word from
3. structural description

Answer 14

1. Areas 18,19: Visual word form.
2. Temporal/frontal: Word meaning.
3. Occipito-temporal: Global structure representation.

Question 15

what is procedural non-declarative memory?

Answer 15

‘How-to’ and motor memories.

How to drive, ride a bike, throw a football, etc.

Question 16

Memory can be broken down to:

Answer 16

1. Information encoding/acquisition (Processing of stimuli, attaching relevance)
2. Consolidation/storage (‘laying down’ of memories)
3. Retrieval (recall of memories)

Question 17

Memorizing pictures involves what part in the brain?

Memorizing words involves what part in the brain?

Answer 17

right prefrontal cortex and bilateral parahippocampal cortices

left prefrontal cortex and bilateral parahippocampal cortices

Question 18

Why does brain trauma/damage sometimes result in degrees of retrograde amnesia?

Answer 18

Consolidation of memory requires a significant

period of time to occur. Thus, more ‘recent’

memories that are not yet fully consolidated can

be disrupted after lesion/trauma.

Question 19

what is the Effect of Electoshock Therapy on Memory Recall?

Answer 19

Electrical interruption of brain function can often affect recent memory.

Question 20

is it better to study a lot of time or in different ways?

How to Improve Your Study Memory..

Answer 20

different ways is more important

1. Proper sleep = REM (memory consolidation)
2. Attention = You DO NOT study better with music or a movie on in the background.