Memory

Question 1

What did Ebbinghaus do?

Answer 1

• 1885 plotted the first forgetting curve based on empirical studies
• logarithmic function of memory decay

Question 2

What did James 1890 suggest?

Answer 2

• a major division between primary (short term) and secondary (long term) memory on introspective and theoretical grounds

Question 3

What did Hebb 1949 suggest?

Answer 3

• the two memory constructs (St & LT) could be supported in different ways in the brain
• ST > through reverberation in cell assemblies
• LT > through synaptic plasticity (building new / strengthening connections)

Question 4

what is the capacity for STM?

Answer 4

7 +/- 2 items

Question 5

What did Sperling 1960 and Neisser 1967 claim about STM?

Answer 5

it has a limited capacity and is separable from earlier iconic/ echoic memory

Question 6

what are echoic traces?

Answer 6

short traces or auditory stimuli , different form STM

Question 7

which tasks introduced non verbal material when looking at STM

Answer 7

phillips and baddeley 1971
flashed different checked patterns to test ST visual memory > measured reaction times
people performed better if probed

Question 8

how does cueing affect peoples performances in STM tasks?

Answer 8

• improved performance
• if you cue people immediately there is a higher span
• the more you wait the more the advantage goes down

Question 9

what are some advantages of using non verbal material when testing STM

Answer 9

more inclusive - can be used to account for memory in deaf people whereas verbal material cannot

Question 10

what is the role of decay in STM?

Answer 10

• STM decays rapidly without rehearsal > brown 1958 > Peterson and Peterson 1959
• STM decays overtime

Question 11

how does the similarity of items interact with forgetting?

Answer 11

• the similarity of items interacts strongly with forgetting > Keppel and Underwood 1962
• strong effect of proactive interference

Question 12

interference

Answer 12

forgetting occurs because of interference from other memories (Baddeley, 1999)

Question 13

proactive interference

Answer 13

when you cannot learn a new task because of an old task that had been learnt. When what we already know interferes with what we are currently learning – where old memories disrupt new memories.
»> FORWARD

Question 14

retroactive interference

Answer 14

later learning interferes with earlier learning - where new memories disrupt old memories.

Question 15

Where was KF’s Lesion located?

Answer 15

• lesion to left medial temporal parietal area

Question 16

What is Reverberation

Answer 16

Hebb proposed activity could remain active through reverberation in cell assemblies 1949
- once sensory stimuli induce activity in a cell it can be sustained among connections

Question 17

Partial report paradigm

Answer 17

More items are stored in short term memory than can be reported accurately

Question 18

Neural basis of working memory

Answer 18

WM activates a multiple demand system such that the same pattern of prefrontal cortex activity is observed regardless of working memory content and processes

Question 19

Hippocampus specialised for

Answer 19

Fast learning

Question 20

Difference due to memory / subsequent memory effect

Answer 20

Brain activity that is higher for remembered items v forgotten items

Question 21

Medial temporal lobe amnesia patients (e.g. KC, Clive Wearing) would be most impaired in remembering…

Answer 21

Episodic events from yesterday

Question 22

Neocortex is specialised for

Answer 22

Gradual learning

Intergrating memory to extract consistent associations

Question 23

Link between hippocampus and neocortex

Answer 23

Information is transferred from hippocampus to neocortex over time