Memory Flashcards
Alzheimer’s disease
a type of dementia characterised
by gradual widespread degeneration of brain neurons,
progressively causing memory decline, deterioration
of cognitive and social skills, and personality
changes p. 324
amnesia
loss of memory that is inconsistent with
ordinary forgetting; see also anterograde
amnesia p. 313
anterograde amnesia
loss of memory only for
information or events occurring after the trauma that
caused the amnesia p. 314
Atkinson-shiffrin multi-store model
represents
memory as consisting of three separate stores called
sensory memory, short-term memory and long-term
memory p. 269
consolidation
the biological process of making a
newly formed long-term memory stable and enduring
after learning p. 208
context dependent cue
a prompt for memory retrieval
based on environmental factors in the specific situation
in which the required memory was originally formed;
compare with state dependent cue p. 331
cued recall
reproducing information from memory by
using a prompt to assist retrieval p. 303
echoic memory
auditory sensory memory for
incoming auditory information that stores sounds in
their original sensory form for about three or four
seconds p. 275
elaborative rehearsal
the process of linking new
information in a meaningful way with information already stored in memory or with other new
information to aid its storage and retrieval from
long-term memory; compare with maintenance
rehearsal p. 335
encoding
in relation to memory, conversion of
information into a form that can be neurologically
represented and stored in memory p. 268
episodic memory
the long-term explicit memory of
personally experienced events p. 282
explicit memory
memory that occurs when
information can be consciously or intentionally
retrieved and stated; see also episodic memory
and semantic memory; compare with implicit
memory p. 282
eye-witness testimony
any firsthand account given
by an individual of an event they have seen p. 309
forgetting
the inability to access or recover
information previously stored in memory p. 329
free recall
reproducing information from memory in
any order, without the assistance of any cue p. 303
glutamate
the primary excitatory
neurotransmitter for information transmission
throughout the brain; plays crucial roles in the growth
and strengthening of synaptic connections during
learning and memory formation pp. 129, 207
iconic memory
visual sensory memory for incoming
visual information that stores visual images in their
original sensory form for about a third of a second p. 272
implicit memory
memory that does not require
conscious or intentional retrieval; see also procedural
memory and classically conditioned memory; compare
with explicit memory p. 284
leading question
a question that has content or is
phrased in such a way as to suggest what answer is
desired or to lead to the desired answer p. 309
maintenance rehearsal
repetition of information over
and over again so that it can be kept in short-term (or
working) memory; also called rote learning; compare
with elaborative rehearsal p. 334
memory
processing, storage and retrieval of
information acquired through learning p. 268
memory bias
the distorting influences of present
knowledge, beliefs and feelings on the recollection of
previous experiences p. 543
neurodegenerative disease
a disorder characterised by a progressive decline in the structure, activity and function of brain tissue p. 313
neurohormone
a chemical messenger manufactured
by a neuron that is released into the bloodstream
and carried to target neurons or cells; compare with
neurotransmitter p. 207
neurotransmitter
a chemical substance produced by
a neuron that carries a message to other neurons or
cells in muscles, organs or other tissue; compare with
neurohormone p. 129
primacy effect
the serial position effect of superior
recall for items at the beginning of a list p. 338
procedural memory
the long-term implicit memory
of motor skills and actions that have been learned
previously p. 285
recall
reproducing information stored in memory; see
also cued recall, free recall and serial recall p. 303
recency effect
the serial position effect of superior
recall for items at the end of a list p. 338
recognition
in relation to memory retrieval,
identifying the original, learnt information p. 303
reconstruction
in relation to memory, combining
stored information with other available information
to form what is believed to be a more coherent,
complete or accurate memory; also called
reconstructive memory p. 306
rehearsal
in relation to memory, the process of
consciously manipulating information to keep it
in short-term memory, to transfer it to long-term
memory or to aid storage and retrieval; see also
elaborative rehearsal and maintenance
rehearsal p. 334
relearning
learning information again that has been
previously learned and therefore stored in long-term
memory; also called savings p. 305
retrieval
in relation to memory, recovery of stored
information and bringing into conscious awareness for
use p. 268
retrieval cue
any stimulus that assists the process
of locating and recovering information stored in
memory p. 330
retrieval method
any means used to retrieve
information from memory; see also recall,
recognition and relearning p. 302
savings
in relation to memory, a means of measuring
the amount of information saved from previous
learning when relearning; also called method of
savings p. 305
semantic memory
the long-term explicit memory of
facts and knowledge about the world p. 283
sensory memory
the entry point of memory in which
the stimuli that bombard the senses are retained in
their original sensory form for a very brief time p. 271
serial position effect
a research finding that free
recall is better for items at the end and beginning of
a list than for items in the middle of the list; see also
primary effect and recency effect p. 337
serial recall
reproducing information from memory in
the order in which it was learned p. 303
short-term memory
a memory system with
limited storage capacity in which information is stored
for a relatively short time, unless renewed in some
way; also functions as ‘working memory’ pp. 277, 281
state dependent cue
a prompt for memory retrieval
based on an individual’s internal physiological and/or
psychological state at the time the required memory
was formed; compare with context dependent cue p. 332
storage
in relation to memory, retention of encoded
information over time p. 268
structural feature- atkinson shiffrin model
in the Atkinson–Shiffrin multi-store
model, a permanent, built-in fixed feature of memory
that does not vary from one situation to the other;
compare with control process p. 269
Role of Cerebral Cortex in memory
Long-term explicit memories (semantic and episodic) are distributed throughout the cortex (storage)
Role of Hippocampus in memory
Coverts Short-term memories into Long-term memories
Consolidates new sematic and episodic memories but does not store them!
Strong connections to the amygdala (hence, plays a role in emotional memories)
Role of Cerebellum in memory
Involved in the encoding and temporary storage of implicit procedural memories
Crucial for motor learning and the execution of voluntary movements – but not long term storage
Permanent storage for a range of conditioned reflexes-eg blinking reflex.
Role of Amygdala in memory
Involved in the formation of emotional memories (e.g., classically conditioned fear responses) - Consolidation not storage.
More likely to remember events that produce strong emotional reactions (partly due to the presence of noradrenaline in the amygdala). Noradrenaline stimulates the amygdala to attach more emotional significance to an experience and signals the hippocampus to consolidate this type of episodic memory (flashbulb memory)
