Lecture 4 - Memory 1: What is memory? Flashcards

1
Q

Experiences are stored as

A

patterns of activity in networks of neurons

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2
Q

Experience and how it is recorded summary

A

When you are having an experience you have a network of neurons that are active (generating action potentials and graded potentials) communicating with each other and it is a unique pattern for a experience but to hold that experience into memory you do not want these neurons to have to fire on and off constantly for weeks and months so you save this information by strengthening the connections/synapses so at layer times with appropriate cues you are likely to recall the event therefore when you are remembering something you are reactivating many of the neurons that were originally activated whilst you had that experience

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3
Q

An increase in synaptic strength could be mediated by:

A

An increase in neurotransmitter release
An increase in postsynaptic response (increase the number of receptors available to receive the chemical signal generated by the neurotransmitter)
An increase in synaptic connections between neurons

All three of these mechanisms occur when a memory is stored but will occur at a different time

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4
Q

William Greenough study

A

Raise rats separately in impoverished, social and enriched conditions. Learning produces change in synaptic connectivity

Results = The enriched environment produces much more complexity in the network of neurons, there are far more cells connected to each other and many more connections between neurons

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5
Q

What is memory?

A

Memory is the recording of the past for later use in the present

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6
Q

Genetic memory

A

Inherited behaviour

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7
Q

Levels of explanation of memory

A

Biological, individual, social and cultural levels of explanation of memory

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8
Q

Biological level of memory

A

Focus - brain systems, neurochemistry, genetics

What is studied?
Neuroanatomy, animal research, brain imaging
Neurotransmitters and hormones, animal studies, drug studies
Gene mechanisms, heritability, twin and adoption studies

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9
Q

Individual level of memory

A

Focus - Individual differences, Perception and cognition, Behaviour

What is studied?
Personality, gender, developmental age groups, self-concept
Thinking, decision making, language, memory, seeing, hearing
Observable actions, responses, physical movements

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10
Q

Social level of memory

A

Focus - Interpersonal behaviour, social cognition

What is studied?
Groups, relationships, persuasion, influence, workplace
Attitudes, stereotypes, perceptions

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11
Q

Cultural level of memory

A

Focus - Thoughts, actions, behaviours- in different societies and cultural groups

What is studied?
Norms, beliefs, values, symbols, ethnicity

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12
Q

Memory at the individual involves three processes…

A

Encoding
Storage
Retrieval

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13
Q

Encoding

A

The conversion of information into a FORM that can be stored in memory

Information from the world into action potentials/potentials

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14
Q

Storage

A

The creation of a TRACE of this information within the nervous system

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15
Q

Retrieval

A

An attempt to RECOVER a memory trace

Note - Could be accurate and successful retrieval, sometimes it is not successful and sometimes there is an error where you think you have a memory but there actually is not one

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16
Q

Unitary model of memory

A

Input then encoding then storage then retrieval and from retrieval you get output or forgetting

retention for decades, massive capacity

17
Q

Forgetting

A

Forgetting = lost completely from the memory store or retrieval is not successful and the information is actually still there

18
Q

Hermann Ebbinghaus

A

(1850-1909)

was the first person to investigate memory scientifically and systematically

19
Q

Ebbinghaus’ forgetting curve

A

Memorised nonsense syllables then tested how many he retained over time.
Criticisms: not normal memory function, unusual content may enhance memory. Non linear scale. Down to ~60% after 20 mins, ~20% after 31 days

The advantage of doing this is that you are starting from scratch. If you give them a word they know, chances are that at some point they will see the word in the real world and it will prepare them e.g. car (there is potential throughout the retention period to rehearse the information as you are receiving cues from the world around you)

The disadvantages are that these words are not relevant to us as it is not meaningful information and usually the more meaningful the information is the better you remember it therefore you lose the motivation. This is not the way that memory generally works

20
Q

Peterson and Peterson’s (1959) experiment

A

3 letters and 3 numbers presented.
Subject counts backwards in 3s from the number they saw for 18 sec, then recalls letters. When working memory takes on a new task, old information disappears very quickly (~18 sec)

21
Q

Miller study

A

Short-term memory capacity = 7 +/- 2 items

Given numbers and then asked to write them down

22
Q

Which studies question the unitary model of memory

A

Peterson and Peterson
Miller
Ebbinghaus’ forgetting curve

23
Q

Memory refers to

A

the processes that allow us to record, store and later retrieve experiences and information

24
Q

Encoding refers to

A

getting information into the system by translating it into a neural code that your brain processes

25
Q

Storage involves

A

retaining information over time

26
Q

Retrieval refers to

A

processes that access stored information

27
Q

Sensory memory ..

A

briefly holds incoming sensory information

28
Q

Atkinson and Shiffrin (1968) depicts memory as having three major components …

A

sensory memory
working (short term) memory
Long term memory

29
Q

Short term memory is a

A

memory store that temporarily holds a limited amount of information

30
Q

Memory codes are

A

mental representations of some type of information or stimulus and they can take various forms

31
Q

Short term memory can hold

A

only a limited amount of information at a time

32
Q

The limit of short term memory storage capacity concerns the

A

number of meaningful units that can be recalled

combining individual items into larger units of meaning is called chunking

33
Q

By rehearsing information….

A

you can extend its duration in short term memory