Long Term Memory: Structure

Question 1

retrograde amnesie

Answer 1

loss of memory for events that occurred before the injury, can extend back minutes, hours, or even years, depending on the nature of the injury.

Question 2

anterograde amnesia

Answer 2

amnesia for events that occur after an injury, the inability to form new memories.

Question 3

Dissociations between LTM and STM

Answer 3

LTM is an archive of information about past events and knowledge learned, works close with WM, storage stretches from a few moments ago to as far back as one can remember, more recent memories are more detailed. STM can hold information for short periods of time, has limited capacity.

Question 4

H.M. - what amnesia he had and why

Answer 4

• Surgery removed hippocampus.
• Retained STM but unable to transfer info to LTM, unable to form new LTMs.
• No episodic memory can’t relive past events.
• Semantic memory intact, can remember general info about the past.

Question 5

Clive Wearing - what amnesia he had and why

Answer 5

STM not impaired, LTM impaired. Had both anterograde and retrograde, couldn’t remember past or create new memories. Had viral encephalitis

Question 6

Dissociations between episodic and semantic LTM

Answer 6

Episodic memory involves mental time travel – tied to personal experience, remembering is reliving, “self-knowing”. Semantic memory does not involve mental time travel – general knowledge, facts, “knowing”.

Question 7

Long term memory - duration and capacity

Answer 7

Storage stretches from a few moments ago to as far back as one can remember. Stretches from about 30 seconds ago to earliest memories in life.

Question 8

serial position curve

Answer 8

memory better for stimuli presented at beginning, primacy effect game more time to rehearse information, more likely to enter LTM. Memory better for stimuli presented at end of list, recency effect allowed stimuli to still be in STM. Primacy (LTM) and recency (STM) effect, best memory for items at beginning and end of the list

Question 9

Distinction between STM and LTM based on serial position curve

Answer 9

Distinction between STM and LTM memories using the serial position curve, memory is better for words presented at the beginning (primacy) and end (recency) of a list.

Question 10

Type of coding in STM vs. LTM

Answer 10

Visual and auditory encoding in STM and LTM. Semantic encoding in LTM.

Question 11

Recognition memory

Answer 11

used in LTM coding, identification of a previously encountered stimulus.

Question 12

Sachs experiment

Answer 12

LTM coding, participants remember words vs. meaning.

Question 13

implicit memory

Answer 13

occurs when learning from experience is not accompanied by conscious remembering – procedural memories, priming, conditioning.

Question 14

procedural memory

Answer 14

skill memory – memory for actions. No memory of where or when learned, perform procedures without being consciously aware of how to do them. People who cannot form new LTMs can still learn new skills.

Question 15

priming

Answer 15

presentation of priming stimulus changes person’s response to a test stimulus

Question 16

repetition priming

Answer 16

test stimulus the same or like priming stimulus. Person may or may not remember original presentation of priming stimulus.

Question 17

episodic memory

Answer 17

involves mental time travel – tied to personal experience, remembering is reliving, “self-knowing”. Can be lost, leaving only semantic. Acquiring knowledge may start as episodic but then fade to semantic. Episodic memories are extracted and recombined to create simulations of future events. Helps us anticipate future needs and guide future behaviors.

Question 18

semantic memory

Answer 18

does not involve mental time travel – general knowledge, facts, “knowing”. Semantic can be enhanced if associated with episodic.

Question 19

autobiographical memory

Answer 19

specific experiences, includes semantic and episodic

Question 20

personal semantic memory

Answer 20

semantic memories that have personal significance.

Question 21

explicit memories

Answer 21

memories we are aware of, include episodic and semantic memory.

Question 22

classical conditioning and implicit memory

Answer 22

pairing a neutral stimulus with a reflexive response, involved implicit memory when person has forgotten about original pairing of the stimulus and the response.

Question 23

propaganda effect

Answer 23

more likely to rate statements read or heard before as being true, involves implicit memory because it can occur when people are not aware of previously seeing or hearing statements.