unit 2 part 2 Flashcards
what is long term potentiation? LTP
strengthening of a synaptic connection that happens when the synapse of one neuron repeatedly fires and excited another neuron.
-learning and memory
where does long term potentiaon occur?
hippocampus
what is the amygdala?
involved in episodic memory, primary processor of emotional reactions.
What is the cerebellum?
Involved in implicit memories
What is the basal ganglia?
Memory retrieval and procedural memory
-creating and maintaining habits
Who is Hermann ebbinghaus?
First to conduct experimental studies on memories using himself as a subject
What is the trace decay theory?
Over time our memories biologically degenerate
What is amnesia?
When a person experience full or partial loss of memory
What is retrograde amnesia?
Cannot remember things that happened before the event that caused their amnesia
What is anterograde amnesia?
Person is unable to create new memories after an amnesia-inducing event
What is the serial position effect?
When we try to retrieve a long list of words and usually recall the last and first words best, forgetting the words in the middle
What is the primary effect?
Better recall of first items from greater rehearsal
What is the recency effect?
Better recall of the last items, still in working memory
What is retrieval failure?
Failure to recall a memory due to missing stimuli or cues that were present at the time the memory was encoded
What is the tip of tongue state?
When a memory is available but not quite retrievable
What is encoding failure?
When a memory was never formed in the first place
-we cannot lean or recall what we do not perceive and attend to
What is the interface theory?
Some memories interfere with the retrieval of other memories, forgetting in long term
What is proactive (previous) interference?
Older memories interfere with the retrieval of newer memories
What is retroactive (recent) interference?
New memories interfere with the retrieval of older memories
What is flashbulb memory?
Vivid and detailed memories that people create during times of personal tragedy, accident or emotionally significant world events.
What is memory reconstruction?
approach to understanding memory as a cognitive process and the errors that occur within it
-construct memory as we recall them, making up as we withdraw
what are pseudo-memories?
false memories that we believe to be true
what is elizabeth loftus?
extensive reseach on memory reconstruction and false memories and how memory is changeable, it is not always accurate.
What is the misiniformation effect?
exposed to misleading info we tend to misremeber
what is source amnesia?
Inability to remember true source of a meory while retaining its substance
what is eyewitness testimony
researches have repeatedly found that the most confident and consistent eyewitness are the most persuasive, however they often are not the most accurate
What is focus your attention?
in order for info to move from STM into LTM, you need to actively attend to this info
what are mnemonic devices?
encoding strategies used to organize and or chunk ti be learned material, in order to make it more meaningful and easier to remember.
what are acronyms?
combining the first letters of to be learned words into a new word or word like unit (mnemonic device)
what is acrostic?
using the first letters of a wrd list to be learned items to create a meaningful and/or odd sentence
what is the method of loci?
association of worss on a list with visualization or places on a familiar path
What is the peg word system?
mnemonic technique for memorizing lists, and object is visualized whihc holds the info
What are retrieval cues?
reminders associated with info we are trying to get out of memory, aid us in remembering
What is contect dependent memory?
easier to recall info while in the same “context” of environment in which it was acquired
What is state dependent memory?
memories that are triggered or enhanced by a persons current mood because of the relationship to memories formed when you were in a similar state
What is distrubited practice?
spacing the study pf material to be remembered by the melding breaks between study periods
What is the testing effect?
Finding that LTM is increased when the same learning period is devoted to retrieving the to-be-remembered info through testing with proper feedback
What is positive transfer?
mastery of one task aids learning or performing another
