Memory Flashcards
What is anterograde amnesia?
Inability to create new memories after the event that caused the amnesia
Define memory…
The mental capacity to store and later recognise/recall previously experienced events
Is memory an active or passive mental system?
Active
What are the 3 stages of memory?
- Encoding
- Storage
- Retrieval
What are the 3 main methods of encoding info into memory?
- Visual (seeing something)
- Acoustic (hearing something)
- Semantic (the meaning of something)
What is memory storage briefly divided into?
Short term memory
Long term memory
How long does short term memory last?
Up to 30 seconds
What are the 2 main types of memory retrieval?
Recall
Recognition
What is the multi store model of memory?
Take in sensory info…
Some of that is taken to short term memory…
Some of that is taken to long term memory
Whether it reaches the next stage is dependent on whether we pay attention to the info
How long does sensory memory last for?
0.5 seconds
Where is sensory memory stored?
Different sensory stores for each sensory modality
Visual = post. Parietal cortex
Acoustic = primary auditory cortex
Semantic = hippocampus
Where is short term memory stored?
Frontal + parietal lobes
How many pieces of info can be processed in short term memory at once?
The 7 rule!
Average is 7, plus/minus 2
Where does long term memory consolidation/learning occur?
Hippocampus
What is the main way that info reaching long term memory has been encoded?
Semantic encoding (things with/giving things meaning)
Where is emotion-related memory processed?
Amygdala
What aspect of the multi-store model of memory does “working memory” replace?
Short term memory
Which aspect of working memory orders memory into chronological events?
The episodic buffer
Which aspect of working memory acts as the inner voice used to repeat info back to ourselves in order for it to stick in long term memory?
Phonological loop
Which aspect of working memory acts as the inner eye?
The Visuo-spatial sketchpad
Which aspect of working memory acts to perform cognitive tasks like problem solving?
Central executive
What does the working memory aspect “phonological loop” store?
Auditory info by repeating/rehearsing sounds in our head
(e.g. repeating a phone number back to yourself on a loop)
What does the working memory aspect “visuo-spatial sketchpad” store?
Visual and spatial info
(E.g used when judging distance or counting windows on a house)
What does the working memory aspect of the “episodic buffer” do?
Linking info from other stores together to form a rounded, chronological event
(E.g engaged when remembering/recounting a story)
What are the 3 main models of memory?
- multi-store model
- working memory model
- levels of processing model
What does the “levels of processing” model suggest about memory?
The depth of processing leads to stronger memories
That memory doesn’t have to go through the linear process to reach long term memory, as seen in the multi-store model, but rather, THE MORE ATTENTION / REHEARSAL INFO IS GIVEN, THE STRONGER THE MEMORY WILL BE
Which part of the memory process does the “levels of processing model” focus on?
Encoding
= the deeper the level of encoding, the longer a memory will last
What are the 3 methods of processing/encoding used in the “levels of processing” model ?
Which methods lead to stronger Vs weaker memory traces, according to this model?
Superficial (weaker) encoding:
1. Structural processing (how something looks)
2. Phonemic processing (how something sounds)
Deep (stronger) processing
3. Semantic processing (what something means)
What are the 2 types of long term memory?
Explicit (consciously recall e.g think back to first kiss, recall facts)
Implicit (knowledge without awareness of memory e.g being able to drive without relearning)
What are the subdivisions of explicit long term memory?
- Episodic (e.g first kiss, a holiday…)
- Semantic (e.g facts, general knowledge)
What are the subdivisions of implicit long term memory?
- Procedural (= skills/actions e.g knowing how to drive/ride a bike/clean a plate…)
- Priming (= when exposure to 1 stimulus influences response to another e.g associating pairs like “bread” and “butter”)
What type of long term memory is another word for “muscle memory” ?
Procedural aspect of implicit memory
What is another name for explicit memory?
Declarative memory
What is another name for implicit memory?
Non-declarative memory
Which type of long term memory is affected by neuro degenerative diseases e.g Alzheimer’s?
Explicit /declarative memory
What are the theories of forgetting, regarding short term memory?
- Trace of decay (STM leaves a trace in the brain that fades after 30 secs)
- Displacement from short term memory (new info replaces old when STM is full)
What is the theory of forgetting, regarding long term memory?
Interference theory
= info in LTM may get confused as new memories interfere with what we have previously learned
What is childhood amnesia?
Inability to recall early episodic memories from childhood as an adult
What does “source confusion” mean in terms of false memory?
= misattribution of where a “memory” has come from
E.g an eye witness finds out perpetrator had a gun, so later down the line they recount having seen perpetrator with a gun (cos they think they did, they’re not lying, they’re just confusing the source of the info about the gun)
