Lecture 20- Learning and memory

Question 1

What are the two main types of memory?

Answer 1

implicit and explicit

-operate through different mechanisms

Question 2

What is working memory a subdivision of?

Answer 2

-explicit memory

Question 3

What is explicit memory?

Answer 3

• memory of facts
• if short term called= working memory
• you can describe it

Question 4

What is implicit memory?

Answer 4

• unconscious, cannot explain
• includes habituation, sensitization, classical and operant conditioning and procedural memory
• -implicit, you don’t think about it
• ljust access the motor program, some innate some have to learn and then becomes implicit and procedural
• tying your shoes
• opposite of the explicit memory
• you can remember via explicit memory remember how you learned it
• your name= learn, but so used often, becomes procedural memory
• repeated over and over again
• applie sin language, words you use most often, procedural! = but technically they are explicit as they are facts= overlap

Question 5

What is habituation and sensitization?

Answer 5

= after a short period of time= you don’t perceive a stimulus, no control over

sensitization= activating the fear to notice stimuli, if noxious or alarming stimulus it obliterates habituation

• critical adaptation to state of alarm
• gets rid of the habituation

-neither one is consciously activated (sensitization and habituation)

Question 6

What is classical conditioning?

Answer 6

• pavlov

- salivate when the bell rings even if no food

Question 7

What is operant conditioning?

Answer 7

behaviour comes before the conditioning stimulus

• call your dog, give a treat; then call= comes even when don’t give a treat
• one of the most important ways of learning= unconcious
• we can asses it consciously

Question 8

What is procedural memory?

Answer 8

the “how to” memory, walking, driving etc.

Question 9

What does working memory do?

Answer 9

-Stores newly acquired information and retrieved memories
•Memory traces last seconds to minutes
-newly acquired info and newly called info
-holding for long enough to be functions
-lasts only a few seconds mostly (minutes in some situations

Question 10

What does the working memory depend on?

Answer 10

• on prefrontal cortex

- Also lateral intraparietal cortex

Question 11

What are the three subdivisions of working memory?

Answer 11

• Central executive
• Phonological loop
• Spatiotemporal sketchpad

•Each component of working memory is distributed across a different set of brain regions

Question 12

Who was Phineas Gage?

Answer 12

injury through prefrontal cortex, behavioural changes, became distrusting of others, his working memory impact
-thanks to that we know that prefrontal and lateral intraparietal cortex are part of memory

Question 13

What is the central executive?

Answer 13

flexible system responsible for the control and regulation of cognitive processes. It has the following functions:

• binding information from a number of sources into coherent episodes
• coordination of the slave systems
• shifting between tasks or retrieval strategies
• selective attention and inhibition

Question 14

What is the phonological loop?

Answer 14

remember words, repeat words, can hold 7 items, 1st in 1st out arrangement, things have to be stored and repeated otherwise it won’t get out of working memory into long term memory

Question 15

What is the spatiotemporal sketchpad?

Answer 15

-what is going in visual space, how it connect with time and contains olfactory and touch etc. everything except facts and auditory function that allow you to recognise words

Question 16

What is explicit memory also called?

Answer 16

-declarative memory
– subdivided into semantic and episodic memory
– Includes normal working memory

Question 17

What formation is needed for explicit memory?

Answer 17

hippocampal formation for transfer from working to long term memory

Question 18

Where is explicit memory mostly stored?

Answer 18

• Primarily stored in the neocortex once consolidated

- so first hippocampus= short term long term storage and then stored in the long term long term storage = neocortex

Question 19

Who was HM?

Answer 19

–the one who had hippocami removed, couldn’tremember anything for longer than 2 mins
= proof that hippocampus is essential for memory

Question 20

What is semantic memory?

Answer 20

• subdivision of explicit memory

- content,meaningsof words, sights, sounds, etc

Question 21

What is semantic dementia?

Answer 21

-loss of neocortex, loses the ability to distinguish subjects, the categories of objects, but could remember the sequence of objects

Question 22

What is episodic memory?

Answer 22

-subdivision of explicit memory
– spatial and temporal relationships between different semantic memories
– important for language

Question 23

What is the transfer of information into long term memory dependent upon?

Answer 23

-repetition

except when something is really shocking

Question 24

What does recall into working memory do?

Answer 24

Recall into working memory enhances the long term memory (use it or lose it)

Question 25

What does repetition cause?

Answer 25

Repetition alters strength of active synapses, thereby laying down an activity pattern that can be recalled (Hebb’s theory)

Question 26

Why is sleep important for memory?

Answer 26

Frequently, sleep is required with both slow wave and rapid eye movement sleep being implicated

Question 27

What is special about female memory?

Answer 27

-females= can store it just before exam