MEMORY AND FORGETTING

Question 1

why is memory important?

Answer 1

it allows us to produce captive behaviour

it supports sense of self/culture, it has a practical importance of memory failures

Question 2

what are the 3 main elements of memory?

Answer 2

sensory stores, short-term stores, long-term stores

Question 3

what are sensory stores?

Answer 3

Sensory memory holds sensory information less than one second after an item is perceived.

Question 4

what is short-term memory?

Answer 4

Short-term memory allows recall for a period of several seconds to a minute without rehearsal.

Question 5

what is long-term memory?

Answer 5

long-term memory can store much larger quantities of information for potentially unlimited duration

Question 6

why do we forget short-term memories?

Answer 6

they decline very fast in the absence of attention

Question 7

why do we forget long-term memories?

Answer 7

retrieval failure

Question 8

how do you form a long-term memory?

Answer 8

through retrieval of short term memories

Question 9

what affects memory storage?

Answer 9

context i.e. location
mood
sleep

Question 10

what are the 3 levels of processing? which is best for forming memories?

Answer 10

physical
acoustic
semantic - best as it forms more distinct memories with reduced chance of interference

Question 11

what is semantic encoding?

Answer 11

thinking about the meaning of a word, thinking about how the word fits in a sentence makes you remember it better than what it looks like (physical) and what it sounds like (acoustic).

Question 12

describe the multi-store model of memory?

Answer 12

an environmental input forms sensory memories which, when given more attention, form short-term memories. if these are rehearsed and retrieved enough they can form long-term memories

Question 13

where is the hippocampus located?

Answer 13

medial temporal lobe and is an infolding of the medial temporal cortex

Question 14

what is the role of the hippocampus in memory?

Answer 14

the transfer of information from short-term memory to long-term memory during encoding and retrieval stages.

Question 15

what are the 2 steps to encoding memories?

Answer 15

• Acquisition - Stimuli are committed to short term memory.
• Consolidation - The hippocampus, along with other cortical structures stabilise an object within long term memory, a process strengthening over time

Question 16

how can the hippocampus use cues?

Answer 16

if you go back to the location/wear same clothes etc you form a cue where the hippocampus can bring bak the entire experience through association

Question 17

where are childhood memories stored? explain this

Answer 17

in the neocortex and hippocampus. Over time, memories may lose their reliance on the hippocampus and instead the associative links can occur in the frontal cortex

Question 18

what is episodic memory?

Answer 18

A category of long-term memory that involves the recollection of specific events, situations, and experiences

Question 19

what is cue-dependant forgetting?

Answer 19

the failure to recall a memory due to missing stimuli or cues that were present at the time the memory was encoded. The information still exists, but without these cues retrieval is unlikely.

Question 20

what is trace decay?

Answer 20

Forgetting occurs as a result of the automatic decay or fading of the memory trace. Trace decay theory focuses on time and the limited duration of short term memory.

Question 21

what are some organic causes of forgetting?

Answer 21

physiological damage or dilapidation e.g. Alzheimers, amnesia, dementia, gradual slowing of CNS due to ageing

Question 22

what is interference theory?

Answer 22

The idea that when the learning of something new causes forgetting of older material on the basis of competition between the two. This essentially states that memory’s information may become confused or combined with other information during encoding, resulting in the distortion or disruption of memories

Question 23

what is decay theory?

Answer 23

when something new is learned, a neurochemical, physical ‘memory trace’ is formed in the brain and over time this trace tends to disintegrate, unless it is occasionally used

Question 24

what is amnesia?

Answer 24

memory loss

Question 25

what are some common causes of amnesia?

Answer 25

viral infections, long term alcoholism, anoxia, head injuries, Alzheimers disease

Question 26

what is the pathophysiology of amnesia?

Answer 26

damage to areas of the brain that are vital for memory processing e.g. hippocampus, prefrontal cortex, fornix

Question 27

describe the temporal gradient in amnesia?

Answer 27

the more recent memories are the one likely to be lost and so childhood memories are usually kept. This suggests that memories become less dependent on hippocampus following consolidation and more dependent on the temporal neocortex.

Question 28

what Is anterograde amnesia?

Answer 28

decreased ability to retain new information after amnesia develops

Question 29

what is retrograde amnesia?

Answer 29

a form of amnesia where someone is unable to recall events that occurred before the development of the amnesia

Question 30

what is semantic dementia?

Answer 30

a frontotemporal dementia where atrophy occurs in the temporal neocortex leading to a progressive loss of conceptual knowledge

Question 31

what types of memories are kept in semantic dementia?

Answer 31

Phonology/syntax, visual-spatial skills, non-verbal reasoning, memory for recent events (reverse temporal gradient)

Question 32

what type of memory does the hippocampus store?

Answer 32

episodic memory, unique episodes involving people/places/objects

Question 33

what type of memory do the anterior temporal lobes store?

Answer 33

semantic memory. similarities between experiences to form concepts

Question 34

which structures are damaged in a) amnesia and b) semantic dementia?

Answer 34

a) hippocampus

b) anterior temporal lobes