Chapter 5

Question 1

What is memory?

Answer 1

active processing system that encodes, stores and recovers information

Question 2

What is encoding?

Answer 2

process of converting information into a useable form that can be manipulated and stores in the brain

Question 3

What is storage?

Answer 3

retention of information over time

Question 4

What is retrieval?

Answer 4

process of accessing information that has been stored in LTM and bringing it into the STM

Question 5

What is the short term memory (STM)?

Answer 5

a memory store that stores limited amounts of info that is being attended and manipulated

Question 6

What is the duration of the STM?

Answer 6

18-30 seconds

Question 7

What is the capacity of the STM?

Answer 7

7+-

Question 8

What is chunking?

Answer 8

increase of STM capacity

Question 9

What is sensory memory?

Answer 9

entry point for memory which briefly stores an exact replica of info

Question 10

What is the capacity of sensory memory?

Answer 10

infinite

Question 11

What are the two types of sensory memory?

Answer 11

echoic (auditory) and iconic (visual)

Question 12

What is the duration of the two sensory memory types?

Answer 12

echoic - 3-4sec
iconic - 0.2-0.4sec

Question 13

What is long term memory (LTM)?

Answer 13

memory store where unlimited info is stored relatively permanently

Question 14

What are the two memory types in the LTM?

Answer 14

implicit (unconsciously formed) and explicit (consciously formed)

Question 15

What are the two types of implicit memory?

Answer 15

procedural and classically conditioned

Question 16

What are the two types of explicit memory?

Answer 16

semantic and episodic

Question 17

What are procedural memories?

Answer 17

memory involving motor skills or knowledge of how to complete a task

Question 18

What are classically conditioned memories?

Answer 18

memory involving classically conditioned learning/response

Question 19

What are semantic memories?

Answer 19

memory involving general knowledge or facts

Question 20

What are episodic memories?

Answer 20

memory involving personal experiences or events from the person’s perspective

Question 21

What is the role of the hippocampus in encoding and storing memories?

Answer 21

encodes non-emotional parts of explicit memories

Question 22

What is the role of the amygdala?

Answer 22

encodes emotion driven aspects of explicit memories

Question 23

What is the role of the neocortex?

Answer 23

stores explicit memories

Question 24

What is the role of the cerebellum and basal ganglia?

Answer 24

work together to encode and store implicit memories

Question 25

What is Alzheimer's disease?

Answer 25

neurodegenerative disease characterised by progressive decline in structure, activity and function of brain tissue due to degeneration

Question 26

What is Alzheimer's a type of?

Answer 26

dementia

Question 27

What does Alzheimer's specifically effect?

Answer 27

the hippocampus (ability to encode explicit memories)

Question 28

Can Alzheimer's be cured?

Answer 28

no

Question 29

Can Alzheimer's be diagnosed?

Answer 29

only diagnosed 100% post mortem, scans can be done to rule out stokes, haemorrhages and show brain mass loss

Question 30

What are Alzheimer symptoms?

Answer 30

gradual severe memory loss, confusion, impaired attention, disordered thinking, declined social skills and personality changes

Question 31

What are the 2 main causes of Alzheimers?

Answer 31

build up of amyloid plaque outside neurons trapping them and killing neural pathways neurofibrillary tangles of tau inside neurons inhibiting essential substances and killing neurons both result in brain shrinkage and lack of acetylcholine

Question 32

What does the progression of Alzheimers look like on memory?

Answer 32

first affects hippocampus and causes anterograde amnesia then spreads and causes retrograde amnesia

Question 33

How does a brain with Alzheimers compare to a normal aging brain?

Answer 33

Normal only has slower CNS, slight brain shrinkage and lower capacity to encode info

Question 34

What are the 4 main types of mnemonics?

Answer 34

acronym, acrostic, method of loci and songlines

Question 35

What is a mnemonic?

Answer 35

a device or system that assists in remembering something

Question 36

What is an acronym?

Answer 36

mnemonic device in which the first letter of each item creates a word

Question 37

What is an acrostic?

Answer 37

mnemonic device in which the first letter of each item creates a word in a sentence

Question 38

What is method of loci?

Answer 38

mnemonic device that relates each item to a real or imagined place in a series

Question 39

What is a songline?

Answer 39

mnemonic device in which learning of different things is done in different places, strongly rooted in country and community (orally communicated over generations)

Question 40

What is autobiographical memory?

Answer 40

memory system consisting of episodes of an individuals life made of episodic and semantic memories

Question 41

What is reconstruction?

Answer 41

the linking of stored information with other information to form a coherent and accurate memory

Question 42

What is imagined future/episodic future thinking?

Answer 42

projecting self forward to pre-experience a possible event in the future

Question 43

What are the four types of imagined future?

Answer 43

abstract or specific personal or non-personal

Question 44

What memories does future thinking rely on?

Answer 44

autobiographical (overlay of activity when thinking of past and future)

Question 45

What is amnesia?

Answer 45

permanent or temporary, complete or partial loss of memory type

Question 46

What are the two types of amnesia?

Answer 46

anterograde and retrograde

Question 47

What is and causes anterograde amnesia?

Answer 47

loss of memory for events after trauma damage to hippocampus

Question 48

What is and causes retrograde amnesia?

Answer 48

loss of memory for events before the trauma neurodegneration (cannot retrieve episodic memories)

Question 49

What is aphantasia?

Answer 49

inability to visualise imagery due to inability to access visual processing areas of brain (weak link)

Question 50

What is the cause of aphantasia?

Answer 50

birth, brain trauma and depression