Memory Flashcards
In the simple model of memory, what are the three different memory stores?
Sensory store (
What is the difference between attention and retrieval?
Attention is encoding memories into a long term store.
Retrieval is being aware of the information for a second time and being able to report it (moving memories from long term store to short term store).
How long can you retain information in your short term store if you are prevented from rehearsing it?
~6 seconds
What is interference?
When it is harder to retrieve the correct memory from your long-term store, because there are lots of similar memories there.
Which way of encoding information allows you to retrieve it best and why?
Semantic encoding, because it provides the most powerful and distinctive cues for later recall (you’re thinking about the meaning of the word and this makes the words you’re learning seem more different from each other and reduces interference).
Give 3 reasons memory is important.
Practical importance
Gives us self identity
Allows us to have adaptive behaviour
What does it mean that long term memory retrieval has a context dependency?
How well you retrieve the information depends on whether there is a match between the environment and the internal state of the learner, at the time of learning and at the time of recall.
Cues in the environment act as powerful cues for retrieving information you haven’t thought about for a long time.
As well as context dependency, what other thing does long term memory retrieval depend on and why does this cause a vicious cycle?
Long term memory retrieval has a mood dependency. This means if you’re feeling sad, sad memories will be involuntarily retrieval and you won’t be able to retrieve happy memories. Means depressed people retrieve sad memories easily.
Depressed mood -> recall upsetting events -> sad thoughts
What is the cause of non-pathological forgetting?
Decay and displacement of memories in the short term memory store when attention is distracted.
What 3 things affect long term memory retrieval?
Ineffective cues meaning you can’t access the memory.
Too much interference - many similar memories that the cues can’t separate.
There is a good match between the encoding and retrieval state which suddenly causes involuntary retrieval of a memory.
What are two examples of pathological memory loss?
Amnesia - impairment of long term memory
Semantic dementia - damage to neocortical store
Name 5 things that can cause amnesia.
Viral infection (e.g herpes simplex encephalitis)
Long term alcoholism (Korsakoff’s syndrome)
Anoxia (cardiac arrest, carbon monoxide poisoning)
Head injury
Alzheimer’s
(Basically anything that damages the medial temporal lobe where the hippocampus and parahippocampal gyrus are)
What is the metaphor for episodic, semantic and implicit memory in terms of a bike?
Episodic memory is the memory of the last bike ride you went on. Semantic memory is the knowledge of the names of all the bike parts. Implicit memory is knowing how to ride the bike but not being able to explain how.
What is the difference between the temporal gradient in amnesia and the temporal gradient in semantic dementia.
In amnesia the temporal gradient means you lose more recent episodic memories but childhood memories may remain (this is because earlier memories have been encoded from the hippocampus to the neocortex).
In semantic dementia the neocortex all store is damages, so the earlier memories and world knowledge is lost but episodic memory of recent events is spared.
Where is semantic memory based?
Middle and inferior temporal gyri of the neocortex.
