Lesson 1: Introduction to memory and neurobiology Flashcards
What is memory?
location where information is kept; engram/trace - each memory is mental process used for different mental representation; used to acquire, store or retrieve information
What is learning?
any change in the potential of people to alter their behavior as a consequence of the experience of regularities in the environment
What is memory diagram?
Learning → Storage of information → Retention (Consolidation, generalization, distortion, forgetting) → Retrieval based on cue → Remembering (or not)
How did Aristotle contribute to memory research?
he studied associations between stimuli or experiences
How did Romans contribute to memory research?
They developed method of loci (organizing memory in space, creating sort of the mental map); also used in medieval times by monks
How did Charles Darwin contribute to memory research?
He investigated evolutionary aspects of memory in survival. He argued that memory evolved to capture environmental characteristics.
How did Randolf Menzel contribute to memory research?
He researched bees and observed that they have different types of memories -> similarily to humans he distinguished short term, middle type and 2 types of long term memory. The conclusion is that different memory stages contribute to survival of bees
How did Hermann Ebbinghaus contribute to memory research?
He studied memory in its ‘‘purest form’’ in absence of prior knowledge. To do that, he developed nonsense syllable. He developed learning curve (period of time necessary for memorization of information) and forgetting curve. Moreover, he discovered idea of distributed practice and concept of savings.
What are savings?
after seemingly forgetting learned information, it is still easier to re-learn this information
How can forgetting be delayed indefinately (in theory)?
by process of overlearning when people continue to learn until perfect recall is achieved
How did Adolf Jost contribute to memory research?
He developed Jost’s Law - - if two memory traces have equal retrieval probability, but different ages, the older one will:
- a) be forgotten more slowly than the younger one
- b) benefit more from additional learning
How did Francis Bartlett contribute to memory research?
He postulated that we don’t remember in vacuum and undermined importance of context. He focused on the concept of reconstructive memory - memory are fragmentary or incomplete, therefore people fill them out with prior knowledge
How did William James contribute to memory research?
He distinguished between primary (short-term) and secondary (long-term) memory. He thought of tip-of-the-tongue phenomenon
How did Sigmund Freud contribute to memory research?
He put emphasis on unconscious processes. He thought that repression is mechanism of forgetting. He thought of slip-of-the-tongue phenomenon.
How did Lasley contribute to memory research?
He wanted to check if it is possible to locate individual memories in the brain. He used rats and surgically removed parts of their brains. He found that the bigger the lesion, the worse memory performance (however, this was found regardless of where lesion was performed)
