Unit 11 - Remebering of the Brain Flashcards
- What is plasticity? What does it form the basis of? When is it strongest?
The brain’s ability to change because of experience
Memory
During childhood
- What is short-term memory (STM)? What does it have that is limited?
Memory for information currently held “in mind”
Its capacity
- What is long-term memory? How is its capacity? What two types of memory can it be divided into?
Memory for information that is stored but need not be consciously accessible
Essentially unlimited
Declarative and Nondeclarative Memory
- Is the idea that short-term and long-term memory could be different types of memory (with different stores) evoked for different periods of time a misconception? Why?
Yes, this is a misconception.
Since psychologists do not distinguish between the two based on time.
- Can short-term memory be regarded as a single entity? Is it essential for all long-term learning? Why, for both?
No, short-term memory cannot be regarded as a single entity, and is not essential for all long-term learning
Different types of short-term memory exist (e.g., verbal and viso-spatial), and can be held in mind concurrently.
Some types of long-term learning are possible despite impaired short-term memory
- What is working memory?
A system for the temporary storage and manipulation of information
- What are the three components of Baddeley and Hitch’s model of working memory? Why was the episodic buffer added to this model? What type of model is this?
2 storage components, one for verbal material (phonological loop) and one for visual material (visuo-spatial sketchpad)
3rd component, central executive, coordinates the storage components and cognition in general
For maintaining and manipulating information from episodic long-term memory
Of working memory
2 storage components, one for verbal material (phonological loop) and one for visual material (visuo-spatial sketchpad)
3rd component, central executive, coordinates the storage components and cognition in general
For maintaining and manipulating information from episodic long-term memory
Of working memory
(1) There are no short-term stores (e.g., no verbal/visual stores)
(2) Working memory is just the temporary activation of long-term memories
Most common
- What is phonological short-term memory synonymous to? How is its capacity limitation studied?
Verbal working memory
Through span tasks
- What are span tasks? What is reduced capacity in these tasks linked to? What does this imply?
Involve participants reading a sequence of, e.g., digits and then repeating them back immediately after brief retention
Problems in learning new words
That phonological STM may be important for new phonological LTM
- What does the phonological/articulatory loop in span tasks involve?
A phonological store and a rehearsal mechanism (based on saying words in the head) that refreshes the store
- What is articulatory suppression? What impact does it have on span capacity?
- What is articulatory suppression? What impact does it have on span capacity?
- What impacted the capacity limitation on visuo-spatial short-term memory tasks more, nr of visual features or nr of visual objects/locations?
The latter
- What is semantic memory? Example?
Conceptually-based knowledge about the world, including knowledge of people, places, the meaning of objects and words
Current president of NL
- What is declarative/explicit memory? What are the two types of memories it can be divided into?
Memories that can be consciously accessed and can hence typically be declared - things one knows they can tell others
Semantic and Episodic Memories
