Theme 2 - Learning and memory Flashcards
• compare and contrast classical conditioning and operant conditioning • describe the role of imitation and observation in learning • describe how different models of learning apply in medical contexts
What is classical conditioning?
simultaneous stimulation of two cortical centres leads to association of activation - temporal association
Example of classical conditioning
1) Pavlovs dog - ringing a bell and activation of salivation centres in the brain
2) anticipatory nausea and vomiting in cancer patients
what is an unconditioned stimulus?
something that triggers an unconditioned response eg chemotherapy
what is an unconditioned response?
a response to an unconditioned stimulus (eg chemo) - the nausea and vomiting associated with going to hospital for cancer patients
what is systematic desensitisation?
creating a link between a feared object (eg needles) and relaxation
what is operant conditioning?
learning that occurs as a result of reward or punishment for a certain behaviour - it is causal
an example of operant conditioning in animals
when rats press a lever they get food - the lever pressing is reinforced due to reward
what are primary reinforcers?
water, food and sex
what are secondary reinforcers?
praise, money and attention (as well as removal of positive reinforcers)
are there causal link in operant learning?
yes
are there causal links in classical learning?
no - the dog gets the food regardless of salivation
what behaviour can imitation and observation cause?
altruistic behaviour - if you see someone giving to charity, you are more likely to
what increases the likelihood of imitation?
friendliness, power and similarity - (people in a position of power, friendly adults, people of the same gender or ethnicity)
how is operant conditioning applied?
praise when a task is done well, immediate and frequent feedback
what is associative learning?
change in behaviour as a result of an experience - can be causal (operant) or temporal (classical)
what are the three key components in memory
coding, storage and retrieval
what can lead to a problem in memory coding?
sensory problems
what can leads to problems in memory storage?
not paying attention
what can lead to problems with memory retrieval?
injury
what is declarative memory?
can be explained and consciously stored eg factual information
what is procedural memory?
learnt, stored unconsciously and hard to explain eg how to ride a bike
what is sensory coding?
involved in acquiring new information or the reappearance of old information eg smells triggering memories
what is the capacity of short term memory?
aka working memory. can store seven +/- 2 items
what are the most crucial parts of maintaining short term memories?
rehersal and attention
how does a short term memory become long term?
rehearsal
what state are the neural nodes in short term/working memory?
active state
what does long term memory depend on?
formation of associations when they are active in working/short term memory
what is the key influence on memory retrieval?
their organisation when they are stored
what is a retrieval cue?
similarity of contextual cues during coding a retrieval - easy to retrieve memories when you are in the same situation to where you laid them down
what is cue overload?
when many different memories are associated with a specific cue eg walking to school
when is the best learning/memory formation done?
when there are few distractions and optimum arousal
what do you take in/focus on at low arousal?
take in less but you can have a broader focus
what do you take in/focus on in high arousal?
take in lots of detail but this is within a smaller range
what does type of arousal does the flashbulb analogy represent?
high arousal
what can be a patients response to doctors anxiety?
think the situation is more severe therefore increased anxiety and remember fewer facts as they pay more attention to the emotion
how can doctors boost information recall by patients?
repeat key points multiple times, ask for active repetition, use different communication modalities eg video, remove distractions, emotional support
what can lead to information being forgotten by patients?
if its not attended to, not understood, not encoded through repitition or rehearsal, too much information given
what type of conditioning occurs when behaviour changes as a consequence of early behaviour?
operant conditioning
through what process does systematic desensitisation work?
classical conditioning
