Chapter 9: Memory

Question 1

What is the difference between learning and memory?

Answer 1

Learning = acquisition of new info
Memory = outcome of learning

Question 2

What are the three stages of processing?

Answer 2

1. Encoding = acquisition + consolodation
2. Storage = retention
3. Retrieval = access to storage

Question 3

What is the difference between retrograde and anterograde amnesia?

Answer 3

Retrograde: loss of memory before the lesion

Anterograde: not able to form new memories after the lesion
- Problems with encoding or consolidation

Question 4

What does Ribot’s law say?

Answer 4

Retrograde amnesia is greatest for recent memories, since they are less consolidated

Question 5

What are the two subcategories of long-term memory?

Answer 5

Declarative (explicit: semantic/episodic)

Non-declarative (implicit: procedural, classical conditioning, perceptual priming, nonassociative learning (reflexes))

Question 6

What are the four classes of memory?

Answer 6

1. Sensory memory
2. Short term memory
3. Working memory
4. Long term memory

Question 7

What are the two types of sensory memory and what are they? Explain persistence in both types

Answer 7

1. Echoic memory: auditory input
   - Persistence: unattended input stays like an echo up to 10 seconds
2. Iconic memory: visual input
   - Persistence: unattended input is like an afterimage
   - Partially accessed with partial report

Question 8

According to the modal model, where do attention and rehearsal move items from and to? And how is information lost?

What is evidence against the modal model?

Answer 8

Attention: sensory to short-term
Rehearsal: short-term to long-term

Information is lost through interference and decay

Evidence against: double dissociation between short vs. long term memory. Encoding in long term memory doesn’t have to be serial processed through short-term memory

Question 9

What’s the difference between working and short-term memory?

Answer 9

Working memory is important of maintenance + manipulation of information

Short-term memory is the store, working memory gets its information from

Question 10

How does the model of working memory work according to Baddeley and Hitch? Which two short-term memory stores are there and what are their functions?

Answer 10

Working memory is central executive and organizes and determines information

Two stores:
1. Phonological loop: verbal working memory for auditory input
2. Visuospatial sketchpad: for visual and spacial input

Question 11

Is it harder to multitask within one store compared to two stores of working memory (phonological loop + visuospatial sketchpad)?

Answer 11

It’s harder to multitask in one store at a time. The same neural circuit will be used for this.

Question 12

What are the 4 subcategories of non-declarative memory?

Answer 12

1. Habituation/sensitization
2. Conditioning
3. Perceptual priming
4. Procedural memory

Question 13

What is procedural memory? What happens in the stage of later learning?

Answer 13

Motor skill learning
- practice and structure lead to faster responses
- intact in anterograde amnesia

Later learning: less activity in motor skill learning network (PM, SMA, cerebellum, basal ganglia) because of reduced need of correction

Question 14

What is perceptual priming?

Answer 14

Change of processing of stimulus because of prior exposure to that or a related stimulus

Question 15

What are three types of priming?

Answer 15

1. Perceptual: full or partial repetition primes objects/words
   - Lasts long
2. Conceptual: cue is conceptually related to prime
   - not long lasting
3. Semantic: prime and target are different stimuli from the same category, works through associative networks
   - not long lasting

Question 16

What are the two types of declarative memory? Where does encoding for both types take place?

Answer 16

1. Episodic: events
   - Detailed sensory information
   - Encoding in MTL in hippocampus
2. Semantic: facts
   - No learning context included
   - Encoding MTL in lateral anterior temporal lobe

Question 17

What is the consequence of damage to MTL?

Answer 17

Impaired encoding of memories. Storage is not impaired

Question 18

What is semantic dementia?

Answer 18

Isolated retrograde amnesia in anterior temporal lobe. Loss of semantic knowledge

Episodic memory is intact

Question 19

Where is the main storage of long-term memory and what part is involved in memory retrieval?

Answer 19

Storage: neocortex
Retrieval: MTL

Question 20

What is the difference between episodic recollection and familiarity-based non-episodic recognition? Where does each act find its origin?

Answer 20

Episodic recollection: identifying item as encountered before + context
- Hippocampus

Familiarity-based non-episodic recognition: identifying item as being familiar
- Perirhinal cortex

Question 21

When does the hippocampus fire during retrieval and encoding of episodic recollection? What is the subsequent memory paradigm?

Answer 21

It fires when there is correct episodic recollection.

Subsequent memory paradigm = analysis tool to investigate brain response after correct episodic recollection

Question 22

What areas does retrieval of episodic memories activate?

Answer 22

Sensory association cortex

Question 23

What regions are activated by true memories and what regions are activated by false memories?

Answer 23

True: hippocampus + sensory cortex

False: frontoparietal areas

Question 24

What are the two theories of episodic memory consolidation?

Answer 24

1. Standard theory of consolidation
2. Multiple trace theory

Question 25

What is the standard theory of consolidation?

Answer 25

Hippocampus binds event info across neocortex
Repetition causes cortical connections, not involving hippocampus

Question 26

What is the multiple trace theory?

Answer 26

Episodic memory relies on hippocampus for retrieval and repetition of retrieval creates new memory traces involving the hippocampus

Question 27

What is Hebb’s law and what is the relationship with long term potentiation (LTP)?

Answer 27

Cells that fire together, wire togethe

Strenghtening of synapses when a weak and strong input act on a neuron at the same time. = Long term potentiation

Strenghtening and weakening of synapses can encode information

Question 28

What is the relationship between long term depression and long term potentiation?

Answer 28

Low-frequency bursts of LTP lead to weakening of synapses