Lecture 12 - Intro To Memory Systems

Question 1

What are the joints of memory?

Answer 1

• System that needs classification to be understood to make scientific sense
• Breaking complex system into components in a natural and non-arbitrary way

Question 2

How do we learn about memory?

Answer 2

• Introspection
• Empirical research and theory building
• Cycles: considering how findings from different methods fit together

Question 3

What is encoding?

Answer 3

• Entering information into the system

Question 4

What is storage?

Answer 4

• Holding information statically

Question 5

What is retrieval?

Answer 5

• Getting info out of the system

Question 6

What is the information processing approach?

Answer 6

• Environment -> Sensory Memory -> STM -> LTM
• System for internally preserving info from env
• Boxes are permanent and universal structures, processes might be more flexible
• Arrows show info movement

Question 7

What is the environment?

Answer 7

• Contains info we might want to know Outside memory storage

Question 8

What is sensory memory?

Answer 8

• Brief storage of info within a specific perceptual modality (e.g., audition, vision, etc.)
• Very recent memories retain high sensory fidelity for a lot of information, closely linked to perceptual systems
• Processes: Information from environment encoded into sensory memory

Question 9

What is STM?

Answer 9

• Retention of small amounts of information over periods of a few seconds
• Processes: Some information stored in sensory memory goes to STM

Question 10

What is LTM?

Answer 10

• Holds info for long periods of time
• Some info in STM is encoded into LTM
• Retrieve info from here when you need knowledge
• Info loss: not everything that is remembered briefly is transferred to LTM

Question 11

Describe HM:

Answer 11

• Had surgery for epilepsy
• Lost LTM, he could not retain new memories
• A lot of his cognition is spared including IQ, conversations, selective attention, immediate memory, procedural memory and most sensory functions
• Procedural memory is conserved via mirror tracing box, he gets better as time goes on, even if he does not remember the activity
• Shows different kinds of memory

Question 12

How does HM support dissociation of memory?

Answer 12

• HM thinks: remembers info for seconds but could not learn long term memories or retrieve them (STM fine, LTM not)
• Knows semantically but episodic not

Question 13

What were the dissociations proposed with HMs deficits?

Answer 13

• Has the structures but movement is impaired
• Maybe info is present but access is not present

Question 14

What did Cowan et al. find?

Answer 14

• Patients with amnesia can code new memories under certain conditions
• Took patients similar to HM
• Asked to immediately recall list of words to test STM
• Delayed recall task, manipulated what happens e.g other tasks or no obvious interference
• Immediate condition are always better, in no interference condition, control forget a little, patients remember very little
• Under some circumstance, some info is passing into LTM

Question 15

Why can this information process cannot be right

Answer 15

• Incomplete
• Isolation of short/long term period is hard, when done, they fail spatial STM memory test
• Additional joints needed in STM

Question 16

What was a study that isolated STM/LTM?

Answer 16

• Meta-analysis
• Patients with medial control damage
• Testing memory for visual objects with a delay
• Patients have more of a deficit with visual, they fail STM