Unit 7 - Cognition Flashcards
Memory
the persistence of learning over time through the encoding, storage and retrieval of information
Encoding, Storage, and Retrieval
get information in, retain information, take information out
Cognitive Revolution (1960s-70s)
Noam Chomsky - rejected behaviorist explanations of all behavior (language)
He believed language users followed rules. Key to understanding language was mental processes and cognitive structures
Atkinson and Shiffrin’s Standard Theory Model
came up with 3 levels of memory - sensory, short, and long-term memory
sensory memory
the immediate, very brief recording of sensory information into the memory system
short-term memory
activated memory that holds a few things briefly, such as the seven digits of a phone number when dialing before the information is stored or forgotten.
long-term memory
relatively permanent and limitless storehouse of the memory system. Includes knowledge, skills, and experiences.
working memory
a newer understanding of short term memory that focuses on conscious, active processing of incoming auditory and visual-spatial information, and of information retrieved from the long term memory.
Baddeley and Hitch (1974)
dual-track memory
explicit and implicit processes
explicit memory
memory of facts and experiences that one can consciously know and “declare”.
(AKA declarative memory)
implicit memory
retention independent of conscious recollection (AKA nondeclarative memory)
effortful processing
paired with explicit memory - encoding that requires attention and conscious effort
(Read, talk, text)
automatic processing
paired with implicit memory - unconscious encoding of incidental information, such as space, time and frequency, and of well-learned information, such as word meanings
(Space, time, frequency)
iconic memory
a momentary sensory memory of visual stimuli; a photographic or picture-image memory lasting no more than a few tenths of a second (sensory memory)
echoic memory
a momentary sensory memory of auditory stimuli; if attention is elsewhere, sounds and words can still be recalled within 3 or 4 seconds (sensory memory)
chunking
organizing items into familiar, manageable units; often occurs automatically
mnemonics
memory aids, especially those techniques that use vivid imagery and organizational devices
heirarchies
in a addition to chunking and mnemonics individuals also process information into hierarchies
spacing effect
the tendency for distributed study or practice to yield better long-term retention than is achieved through massed study or practice
shallow processing
Encoding on a basic level based on the structure or appearance of words (short term, sensory)
deep processing
Encoding semantically, based on the meaning of words; tends to yield the best retention (long term)
Hippocampus
neural center located in the limbic system - helps process explicit memories for storage
The route, not the actual location
cerebellum
plays a key role in forming and storing memories created by classical conditioning
Basal ganglia are deep brain structures involved in motor movement that facilitate formation of procedural memories for skills
(implicit memories)
amygdala
two limbic-system, emotion-processing clusters. Emotions can determine how a memory is stored
-Stressful situations
-Serotonin inducing situations
(emotions)
Alzheimer’s
first identified by German neurologist first described by senile plaque (build of protein which causes neurons to die). Type of dementia where patients lack acetylcholine. Definitive diagnosis is during the autopsy
Korsakov’s
related to alcohol consumption and a lack of thiamine
Confabulation - patients make up info to fill memory gaps. Smaller hippocampi than most. Affects the cardiovascular and central nervous system
Flashbulb memory
clear memory of an emotionally significant moment or event. As detailed and accurate as a photograph. “Capture this!”
Long Term Potentiation (LTP)
an increase in a cell’s firing potential after brief, rapid stimulation. Believed to be a neural basis for learning and memory. Changes in synapse level. Drugs that block LTP interfere with learning and memory
recall
a measure of memory in which the person must retrieve information learned earlier as on a fill-in-the-blank test
recognition
a measure of memory in which the person need only identify items previously learned as on a multiple-choice test
relearning
a measure of memory that assesses the amount of time saved when learning material again
Hermann Ebbinghaus
Relearning task - rationale was that he wanted to study the properties of memory and forgetting, the fundamentals
