Lecture 4: Implicit memory

Question 1

What are subtypes of implicit memory?

Answer 1

procedural memory; priming; simple classical conditioning; nonassociative learning

Question 2

What brain area is associated with procedural memory (skills + habits)?

Answer 2

striatum

Question 3

What brain area is associated with priming and perceptual learning?

Answer 3

neocortex - wide brain area

Question 4

What brain area is associated with simple classical conditioning?

Answer 4

emotional responses - amygdala; skeletal responses - cerebellum

Question 5

What brain area is associated with non-associative learning?

Answer 5

reflex pathways

Question 6

What is procedural memory?

Answer 6

form of implicit learning of skills = knowing how to do things - getting better at doing sth repeatedly

Question 7

What can happen when procedural or motor memory is created?

Answer 7

it can impere learning of new procedures or skills - negative transfer

Question 8

What is an example of implicit learning in experimental setting?

Answer 8

people tend to respond faster in serial reaction time when there is hidden pattern of light activation (escaping conscious percept)

people tend to unconsciosly learn artificial grammar as they answer faster when they expect certain letters

Question 9

What are different systems of Chein and Schneider’s triarchic theory of skill learning?

Answer 9

1) metacognitive -> most engaged when people are first learning skill - involves conscious deliberative thought and action

2) cognitive control network -> becomes more engaged as people become more skilled; this system is devoted to managing the process of the skill and making execution more automatic

3) representation -> direct mental instructions how to perform skill - highly automatic skills, high level of expertise

Question 10

Why choking under pressure affects experts?

Answer 10

Because skilled experts don’t tend to consciously think about mechanics of what they do. However, in high pressure situation, they may start to do so. Then, there is competition between conscious thoughts vs nondelerative thoughts

Question 11

What should novices focus on? What should experts focus on?

Answer 11

novices -> accuracy; experts -> speed

Question 12

What happens to experts vs novices in dual task condition?

Answer 12

Experts tend to perform better because they cannot think too much of what they are doing. Novices show worse performance

Question 13

What happens to procedural learning in dementia?

Answer 13

Remains intact. Dementia patients can perform well mirror tracking task and get better over time.

Question 14

What did replication of ‘‘subliminal influence of marketing’’ found?

Answer 14

The replication was significant when cues were incorporated into landscape but still clearly visible. The replication was insignificant when cues were put on posters or people were required to perform different tasks

Question 15

Is subliminal long-term priming possible?

Answer 15

Yes -> for example chinese letters can be assessed differentially depending on the valence of primes
Nevertheless, supraliminal perception is still more effective

Question 16

How can you describe implicit memory?

Answer 16

It is any form of memory that does not require consciousness and can operate without person being aware that memory is being used.

Question 17

How can you measure implicit memory?

Answer 17

1) savings
2) word identification + investigate effects of priming
3) category generation
4) fragment completion + investigate effects of priming
5) picture fragment identification

Question 18

What happens to implicit memory in anterograde amnesia?

Answer 18

It remains intact as shown in picture fragment identification task. When patients previously saw the stimuli, they were quicker to identify them on incomplete pictures. Nevertheless, they did not remember prior exposure

Question 19

Can implicit learning occur under anesthesia?

Answer 19

Yes. During srugery, the sound was playing (banana, banana, banana). After the surgery, when asked to name any fruit, participants were most likely to say ‘‘banana’’

Question 20

What is a difference between implicit and explicit memories?

Answer 20

Implicit memories are dependent of perceptual format - for prime to work, it needs to be exactly the same picture. Explicit memories are sensitive to levels of processing