3.2.9-12 reliability of memory Flashcards
methods of retention: recall
involves being asked to reproduce information with the fewest possible cues to assist retrieval
free recall
remembering as much information as possible.
e.g. remembering words from a list
serial recall
remembering the list of words in order
cued recall
make use of specific cues to aid retrieval.
e.g. being given the first letters of words
methods of retention: recognition
identifying the correct information among alternatives.
provides more cues
methods of retention: relearning
learning information again that has been previously learned and stored in LTM.
learned quicker second time
relearning savings score
original-relearning / original x 100
memory reconstruction
combining stored information with other available information to form what is believed to be a more coherent, complete or accurate memory
amnesia
loss of memory, partial or complete, temporary or permanent
anterograde amnesia
less of memory only for information or events experienced after the person sustains brain damage
process of anterograde amnesia
information enters sensory memory,
attended to and transferred to STM,
can be rehearsed in STM indefinitely,
brain structures involved in transferring STM to LTM are damaged so now new memories can be formed
retrograde amnesia
loss of memory only for information or events experience before the person sustains the brain damage.
usually temporary.
typically memories preceding injury are lost permanently
brain surgery: amygdala
may remember semantic and episodic details of a traumatic or joyful event stored in LTM but not emotional qualities.
impaired ability to recognise facial expressions of emotions
brain surgery: cerebral cortex, frontal lobe loss
disrupt retrieval process.
memories remembered by problems with recalling
brain surgery: cerebral cortex, parietal lobe
involved in attention.
massively impair STM but not necessarily our ability to maintain information in STM
brain surgery: cerebral cortex, temporal lobe
impair explicit memory retrieval and aspects of spatial memory such as spatial awareness and navigation
brain surgery: cerebellum
cannot acquire a classically conditioned reflex response but do remember the experiences during conditioning procedure
brain trauma
any brain damage that imparts, or interferes with, the normal functioning of the brain, either temporarily or permanently
neurodegenerative disease
disease characterised by a progressive decline in the structure, activity and function of brain tissue
dementia
umbrella term used to describe a variety of symptoms of a large group of illnesses or neurodegenerative diseases that cause a progressive decline in a person’s mental functioning
Alzheimer’s disease
neurodegenerative disease characterised by the gradual widespread degeneration of brain neurons, causing memory loss, decline in cognitive and social skills and personality changes
causes of Alzheimer’s disease
damage to hippocampus which causes brain to shrink.
lower levels of important memory neurotransmitters.
high levels of abnormal structures that interfere neural communication
forgetting
inability to access or recover information previously stored in memory
encoding specificity principle
recreating the conditions under which the required information was originally learned