Memory

Question 1

This type of memory encoding involves encoding sensory information with specific relevance to the patient, such as a particular word, picture, or event.

Answer 1

Semantic encoding

Question 2

Fill in the blank.

______ encoding involves encoding sounds such as music or language.

Answer 2

Acoustic

Question 3

Fill in the blank.

The brain uses _______ memory to recall the auditory information that is stored.

Answer 3

echoic

Question 4

This type of memory encoding uses images and other visual information to form long-term memory. The memory encoded by this process is sorted in iconic memory.

Answer 4

visual encoding

Question 5

This area of the brain is responsible for processing and encoding sensory information, linking our senses to memory.

Answer 5

hippocampus

Question 6

A patient given a list of names is most likely to remember names from the beginning and end of the list. What effect causes this?

Answer 6

serial position effect

Question 7

Fill in the blank.

The______ effect occurs when a patient given a list of names is more likely to recall names from the beginning of the list.

Answer 7

primacy

Question 8

Fill in the blank.

The______ effect occurs when a patient given a list of names is more likely to recall names from the end of the list.

Answer 8

recency

Question 9

A list of words is read aloud to a subject: “balloon, bartender, sofa, rickety, marker, hardwood.” Two minutes later, the subject only recalls “balloon” and “hardwood.” This exemplifies:

Answer 9

serial position effect.

This effect can be thought of as a combination of the primacy and recency effects. It refers to the tendency to recall items from the beginning and end of a list better than those from the middle.

Question 10

This is any pattern of letters, associations, ideas, or associations that assists in remembering information.

One example is “LAb RAt,” for the two atrioventricular valves.

Answer 10

mnemonic device

Question 11

Most people have memorized their social security number as three groups of numbers: XXX-XX-XXXX. This memory-assisting process is known as:

Answer 11

chunking

Memorizing numbers is very difficult, because one cannot “visualize” numbers by meaning in the way that one can visualize words. Grouping them into larger chunks, however, is helpful.

Question 12

“SCUBA” and “STAT” are terms that allow people to better remember the ideas of “self-contained underwater breathing apparatus” and “sooner than already there.” These are both examples of which memory aid?

Answer 12

acronyms

Acronyms are abbreviations formed from the first letters of the words in a phrase or set of ideas.

Question 13

The brain often makes strong associations between memories and images to aid in recall. If these images are personally specific or important to the patient, this memory technique is called:

Answer 13

self-reference

Question 14

True or false:

Information that holds a deeper meaning to the subject, such as personally relatable information (e.g. information relevant to family or friends), is more likely to be recalled.

Answer 14

True

This effect is known as depth of processing.

Question 15

Identify the three stages of memory.

Answer 15

1. sensory
2. short-term
3. long-term

Question 16

Fill in the blank.

______ memory is the initial recall of environmental information relayed to the body. This memory is fast and short-term. For example, if you touch a cold surface, you would briefly remember the cold feeling.

Answer 16

Sensory

Question 17

Name the two types of sensory memory.

Answer 17

1. echoic memory
2. iconic memory

Question 18

What is the term for the brief, transient memory of a sound?

Answer 18

echoic memory

Echoic memory is one of the two types of sensory memory. Echoic memory is short, lasting about 3-5 seconds. As an example, imagine hearing someone’s ringtone and remembering it very briefly afterwards.

Question 19

What is the term for the brief, transient memory of an image?

Answer 19

iconic memory

Iconic memory is one of the two types of sensory memory. It is even more short-lived than echoic memory (<1 second). For example, imagine closing your eyes and very briefly remembering the exact hair color of a person you have just met.

Question 20

If a subject is reviewing the image below for 20-30 seconds in order to identify any differences between the two, he or she is most likely using which type of memory?

Answer 20

Short-term memory

Short-term memory is of relatively brief duration, but not as brief as sensory memory. The described interval of 20-30 seconds falls under short-term memory.

Question 21

This aspect of short-term memory refers to the immediate processing of events and language, such as what is used most often when learning a new concept for the MCAT.

Answer 21

Working memory

Working memory involves the immediate processing of language and events. This is the memory students use when studying a new concept.

Question 22

When attempting to accurately recall the face of a childhood friend, an adult will employ which memory type?

Answer 22

Long-term memory

Long-term memory is memory that can last a lifetime. This form of memory storage holds information about childhood friends, school names, material learned in school, your birthday, your family, etc.

Question 23

Long-term memory can be subdivided into which two types of memory?

Answer 23

1. Explicit memory
2. Implicit memory

Explicit memory includes facts and experiences that can be consciously recalled, while implicit memory is encoded and used unconsciously.

Question 24

Fill in the blank.

Declarative memory, also called _______ memory, is the memorization of information (knowing the “what”) to the extent that one is able to consciously recall or “declare” it.

For example, imagine that you remember lines from a favorite movie and are able to recite dialogue along with the film.

Answer 24

explicit

Explicit memory can be further sub-divided into episodic memory and semantic memory.

Question 25

Explicit, or declarative, memory can be subdivided into which two types of memory?

Answer 25

1. Episodic memory
2. Semantic memory

In short, episodic memory is the memory of personal experiences, while semantic memory is the memory of facts.

Question 26

This memory represents our experiences and specific events in time in a serial form, from which once can reconstruct events that took place throughout a lifetime.

Answer 26

Episodic memory

In essence, episodic memory is the memory of autobiographical events.

Question 27

The memory of facts, such as the memory of the names of world leaders, is encoded in:

Answer 27

semantic memory

This memory is a structured record of facts, meanings, concepts and knowledge about the external world. Semantic memory refers to general factual knowledge, independent of both personal experience and the spatial/temporal context in which the information was acquired.

Question 28

Fill in the blank.

The common wisdom which states that “you never forget how to ride a bike” actually has a factual basis in ______ memory.

Answer 28

procedural

This is the memorization of how to complete a task. For example, one would exercise procedural memory when riding a bicycle or playing a sport.

Question 29

Fill in the blank.

Procedural memory is a form of ________ memory.

Answer 29

implicit

Since procedural memory is typically not acquired consciously and is certainly not accessed consciously, it is an example of implicit memory.

Question 30

Define:

flashbulb memory

Answer 30

An extremely vivid, detailed memory of a moment, typically the moment when the individual heard some shocking or traumatic news.

One common example is the fact that many people who are old enough to remember September 11, 2001 recall exactly what they were doing when they heard the news.

Question 31

This extremely rare form of memory allows those who have it to remember an image in great detail, even when they have only seen the image once.

Answer 31

Eidetic memory

While some sources use “eidetic memory” interchangeably with “photographic memory,” there are some small distinctions, and of the two, eidetic memory is the term you should understand for the MCAT.

Question 32

The image below represents an example of which memory storage type?

Answer 32

A semantic network.

Semantic networks are neural networks that signify logical or lingual relationships between concepts and ideas.

Question 33

An MCAT student makes a note to themselves, writing “Remember to watch this biochemistry video by tonight!” This is an example of:

Answer 33

prospective memory

This refers to memories that must be recalled/used in the future, such as the memory of a task that must be done later.

Question 34

A patient is shown the picture below for 30 seconds. When asked to name a bird, they reply “seagull.” This is most likely due to:

Answer 34

priming

Priming is a phenomenon related to implicit memory in which earlier presentation of a word/image/idea impacts what the individual later remembers. Here, the picture of a sand castle and the ocean likely primed the student to say “seagull” because of an association made with the images of found at the beach.

Question 35

This theory of memory storage and retrieval suggests that the more often two concepts are linked, the stronger the connection between these concepts in semantic networks. For example, recalling a graduation party activates other semantic nodes related to graduation, such as friends who attended, speeches given, etc.

Answer 35

Spreading activation occurs when a series of semantic network nodes are activated.

These nodes create an activation pattern of other, related nodes that are activated. This is how one recalls more details about a particular event.

Question 36

A student attempts to recall a movie he saw recently. To do this, the student first recalls in which theater he saw the movie, who was in the theater with him, and the name of the main star. This memory assistance is an example of using:

Answer 36

retrieval cues

A retrieval cue is a prompt that is used to remind us of some idea or concept.

Question 37

If a patient is asked to recall her day from morning until night and describe it to her physician, she is using which type of recall?

Answer 37

Serial recall

Serial recall is the ability to remember events, items in a list, or any other ideas in the sequence in which they occurred or were presented on the list.

Question 38

A medical student walking down a hospital corridor is suddenly approached by a patient. This patient grabs him by the arm and asks “Who is the president?” The accurate recall of the president will utilize what form of recall?

Answer 38

Free recall

Free recall is the ability to remember an idea or concept with no warning, priming, or clues.

Question 39

A patient is given a list of 25 random words to memorize. Later, the researcher asks her to recall only the items on the list that are names of cars. This is an example of which recall type?

Answer 39

Cued recall

Cued recall is the ability of an individual to remember something once cued or asked.

Question 40

If a researcher looking to test cued recall fails to provide sufficient clues or details for the subject to use to remember information, this may result in:

Answer 40

retrieval failure

This is the failure of the subject to correctly access the target information.

Question 41

Which of these statements is more likely to be made by a 74-year-old man in conversation with a friend about his upcoming birthday?

A: “Hey, how old are you turning on the 13^th?”

B: “Labor Day? Hey, isn’t your birthday in September?”

Answer 41

B: “Labor Day? Hey, isn’t your birthday in September?”

After the age of 60, it is more difficult to recall memories, but recognition is still present and generally strong. Recognition is memory recovery that takes place if given clues (much like on the multiple-choice questions of the MCAT). In this example, the man uses the cue of Labor Day to recognize the friend’s upcoming birthday.

Question 42

What two components of affect play a role in memory retrieval?

For this question, it’s important to understand the psychological meaning of the term “affect.”

Answer 42

1. emotional bias
2. mood dependence

Recalling that “affect” (in a psychological sense) refers to emotion and mood makes this question much easier.

Question 43

Give an example of emotional bias in the context of memory retrieval.

Answer 43

Emotional bias in the context of memory retrieval means that one’s memory becomes polarized according to their current emotion. For example, if an infant is crying, a mother may selectively remember instances when the baby was an annoyance, rather than the many happy memories she has of her child.

Question 44

Describe mood dependence in the context of memory retrieval.

Answer 44

Mood-dependent memory is exemplified when information that was learned while someone was feeling a specific mood is best remembered when the person is again experiencing that mood.

This is similar to the concept of context-dependent effects.

Question 45

Fill in the blanks.

It is commonly found that adults over 60 years of age have slower information-processing capabilities. This can lead to ______ speech and ______ reaction times.

Answer 45

slower, longer

These are effects of age-related memory changes.

Question 46

Korsakoff’s syndrome, which has symptoms of memory loss, confusion, irregular speech, and uncoordinated movements, is most closely linked to a dietary deficiency in:

Answer 46

thiamine (Vitamin B₁)

A common cause of this deficiency is heavy alcohol abuse.

Question 47

True or false:

Alzheimer’s disease, Korsakoff’s syndrome, and Parkinson’s disease all initially manifest as memory dysfunction.

Answer 47

False

Alzheimer’s and Korsakoff’s are both pathologies of memory. However, Parkinson’s is a motor disease. While Parkinson’s may eventually progress to dementia, it does not initially manifest as memory dysfunction, and you should be more familiar with its effects on motor function.

Question 48

Fill in the blank.

______ is a chronic disorder of the ability to recall. While commonly associated with aging, it can also be caused by injury to, or disease of, the brain.

Answer 48

Dementia

Question 49

Name the most common cause of dementia.

Answer 49

Alzheimer’s disease

The majority of diagnoses for this progressive disease occur in those aged 65 years or older.

Question 50

This disease is an autosomal dominant, fatal genetic condition which manifests as memory loss, dementia, and involuntary limb movements. It is caused by neuronal degeneration.

Answer 50

Huntington’s disease

Question 51

A patient is brought into the ER after suffering a traumatic blow to the head which may have damaged the hippocampus. Which type of amnesia is likely to present itself in this patient over the next few days?

Answer 51

Anterograde amnesia

Anterograde amnesia is the inability to form new memories. Since the hippocampus is involved in the consolidation of long-term memory, this type of amnesia is a possible symptom of hippocampal damage.

Question 52

Patients who are unable to recall older memories, yet have little trouble learning new information, are most likely suffering from:

Answer 52

retrograde amnesia

This is the inability to remember old memories, or events that have happened in the past.

Question 53

Which theory states that memories are like muscles, in that if long-term memories are not recalled often, it will become progressively harder to recall them, potentially leading to the loss of those memories?

Answer 53

Memory decay

Question 54

When a person firmly believes that they recall an event, but that event never happened or happened differently than the person remembered, the person is experiencing:

Answer 54

a false memory.

False memories are very common in certain contexts, such as witness testimony of a crime or traumatic event. Similarly, the wording of questions asked (for example, by the police) can influence a witness’s memories.

Question 55

If a man begins dating a new person and often calls his new partner by a previous partner’s name, which type of interference is to blame?

Answer 55

Proactive interference

Proactive interference occurs when previously learned information prevents one from being able to remember information learned later.

Question 56

A woman who married for a second time finds that she is having difficulty remembering important milestones from her previous marriage, such as anniversaries and common interests. This exemplifies which form of interference?

Answer 56

Retroactive interference

Retroactive interference occurs when the learning of new information (anniversary or milestones from the second marriage) impairs the remembering of information that was learned earlier (similar events in the first marriage).

Question 57

When asked to describe his sixth-grade classroom, an adult subject recalls details that were not present in his actual classroom, yet nevertheless are commonly associated with classrooms (e.g. rulers and a chalkboard). What memory construction is to blame?

Answer 57

A schema

A schema is the framework of how we recall information, such as structure, components of the situation, or details. Schemas can skew the information recalled.

Question 58

True or false:

A person incorrectly recalling where, or in what manner, he or she obtained a memory is an example of a source-monitoring error.

Answer 58

True

A source-monitoring error is a memory error where the source of a memory is incorrectly attributed to some specific experience. For example, Dave may learn about a robbery from a classmate, but later will report having learned about it on the radio, reflecting an erroneous source attribution.

Question 59

In early infancy, as well as during recovery from stroke, the brain can change/alter synaptic connections to produce new or reacquire old motor pathways. This is an example of:

Answer 59

neural plasticity.

Plasticity refers to the brain’s ability to change and adapt according to various environments, behaviors, and emotions, as well as new synaptic processes.

Question 60

Repetitive training of the hand after a stroke can lead to cortical reorganization of the motor area of the brain to regain hand control. This is an example of which type of neural plasticity?

Answer 60

Map expansion

Map expansion is the flexibility of local brain regions that are dedicated to performing one function. The arrangement of these regions in the cortex is referred to as a map. When one function is carried out frequently enough through repeated behavior or stimulus, the size of the cortical map portion dedicated to this function grows.

Question 61

A potential problem with this type of neural plasticity is that it may come at the expense of functions that are normally stored in the module but now have to make room for new functions.

One example is interference across brain hemispheres from movement of the unaffected hand while trying to train the movement of a hand affected by stroke.

Answer 61

Homologous area adaptation

This typically occurs during the early critical period of development. If a particular brain module becomes damaged in early life, its normal operations have the ability to shift to a module in the matching, or homologous, area of the opposite hemisphere.

Question 62

A rat is placed in a maze, in the center of which is food. If the rat is initially successful in finding the food, what change in synaptic connections will allow the rat to find the food even faster the next time?

Answer 62

Long-term potentiation

Long-term potentiation is the process of strengthening neural synapses according to specific activation patterns. As a synapse strengthens, the signal transmission time becomes quicker.