Memory and Learning Flashcards
What are the definitions of learning, memory, encoding, storage and retrieval?
Learning - process of acquiring new information
Memory - retention of the learned information or persistence of learning in a state that can be revealed at a later time
Encoding - Processing of incoming information to be stored
Storage - The result of acquisition and consolidation; creation and maintenance of a permanent record
Retrieval - Utilisation of stored information to create a conscious representation or to execute a learned behaviour
What is memory made up of?
Short term/working memory Long term memory
What is long term memory made up of?
Declarative - “knowing that”
Non-declarative/procedural - “knowing how”
What is declarative memory made up of?
Episodic - events and personal recollection
Semantic - facts and general knowledge
What is non-declarative memory made up of?
Skills and habits formed by associative conditioning:
Either skeletal musculature or emotional response
What is the pathway of memory?
Senses-> Sensory Memory -> Short term memory -> Long term memory
The sensory memory is lost in a fraction of a second (limited capacity)
The short term memory (working memory) if unrehearsed is lost within seconds but can last for hours
With rehearsal and encoding we can secure the long term memory, being able to retrieve it into short term and also eventually losing some over time
This can be held for days to a lifetime
What can memorists do?
Some individuals have remarkable memories (commonly for numbers)
They use many different techniques, including location-digit matching and visual imagery
What is the working memory model?
This model contains central executive mechanism which controls two subordinate systems involved in rehearsal
Central executive is command-and-control centre - in the prefrontal cortex
Phonological loop is a mechanism for acoustically coding information in working memory - in the left supramarginal gyrus and the left premotor region
Visuospatial sketchpad information storage in visual or visuospatial codes - in the parieto-occipital regions of both hemispheres
What is declarative long term memory?
Also called explicit memory
Recalled by conscious effort
Highly flexible involving multiple sources of information
○ Episodic (memory for events/personal experiences)
○ Semantic (memory for facts and general knowledge)
Example: flashbulb memories - what you were doing when…, they are a highly detailed snapshot of an emotionally charged memory
What brain systems underlie declarative long term memory?
Formation:
Hippocampus, Rhinal cortex, Mammillary body and Dorsal thalamus
Storage:
Neocortex and Frontal cortices on dorsolateral and anterolateral aspects
What are some curiosities of memory?
Olfaction and memory – certain smells invoke memories from years ago
○ Olfactory cortex is linked to hippocampus and amygdala, both important in memory
Music and memory – musical training, or listening to music, are thought to improve memory
○ Little research evidence to back this up
Memory training – daily memory training is thought to improve memory function
○ Synaptic plasticity in the form of altered synapses in the brain may result from activities such as crosswords, Sudoku, memory training etc but research is ongoing
Memory and age – memory function declines as part of the aging process
○ There is a decrease in the number of synaptic connections with age consistent with the idea that memories may be lost
What is non-declarative long term memory?
Also called procedural memory and implicit memory
Skills and associations acquired mainly at an unconscious level
Rigid memory store
Commonly involved in training reflexive motor or perceptual skills
What are the types of procedural learning?
Associative:
Classical conditioning change in passive motor response after learned association between two stimuli (e.g. Pavlov’s dogs)
Instrumental or operant conditioning change in active motor response after association between motor action and reward
Non-associative:
Change in motor response after repeated presentation of a stimulus
Habituation –decrease in motor response
Sensitisation – increase in motor response
What are some brain systems underlying non-declarative long term memory?
Basal ganglia Prefrontal cortex Amygdala Sensory association cortex Cerebellum
What are some related diseases?
Amnesia
Synaptic plasticity
