L05 - Meditation and Memory Flashcards
(31 cards)
mental process of acquiring and understanding knowledge through thought, experience, and the senses
many mental processes included
cognition
process whereby information is encoded (1), consolidated (2), and retrieved (3)
memory
types of memory
sensory memory
short term / working memory
*maintenance rehaersal
long term
*elaborative rehearsal
type of memory where capacity is limited, duration is short
information here is lost unless it is emotionally salient and/or mentally rehearsed
short term memory (STM)
Test of STM Capacity
Digit span = longest string of digist you can remember without error
Limitations of STM
multi-tasking is difficult to explain
if we have a single store, we would expect poor performance when two tasks are performed together
however, we can perform certain tasks simultaneously without problems
Memory where:
Several processes working together
manipulation of information
Working Memory
WM Measures
Digit Symbol
N-back
Operation Span (OPSAN)
OPSAN
- scores on aging
count the number of unrelated words that can be remembered (temporary storage) while simultaneously carrying out a math task (active processing)
reaction time is more affected by aging than accuracy
Type of memory:
stores information for minutes, hours, days, weeks, & beyond
loses detail over time, can be reinforced by repetition
Long term memory (LTM)
Types of LTM
Declarative - show by saying
Non-declarative - show by doing
Role of Hippocampus
centrally involved in memory consolidation, spatially guided behavior and emotion
gateway to declarative memory
Patient H.M.
Removal of hippocampus
Patient developed anterograde amnesia - inability to create new memories
Declarative LTM impaired
Memory is subject to pressures
motivation for the task
attention
stress level
affect (anxiety, depression)
various disorders
- traumatic brain injury
- schizophrenia
- neurodegenerative disease
aging
Long term mindfulness meditation is associated with
more trait mindfulness, lower state anxiety, and increased memory vividness and specificity
Relationship between meditation and TUTs
task-unrelated thoughts (TUTs) may affect our ability to perform
TUTs tend to increase during negative affective states and may impair memory & attention
meditation may allow for better filtering of these irrelevant thoughts, thereby reducing interference and improving performance
Yerkes-Dodson Relationship
risk of stress-induced memory impairment
Physiology of Stress
HPA axis - cortisol
SNS - NA, ADR
Meditation may increase ______, potentially preserving psychological functions while under stress
stress resiliency
Jha et al. 2010
3 groups (control, low practice, & high practice)
controls and low groups show a decline in WM capacity
in the high group, practice time is correlated with OPSAN
PANAS -> test for affect
lower negative, higher OPSAN score (better memory)
SART
task for measuring attention
WMDA
task for measuring WM
CFQ
self-reporting cognitive failures
modified MBSR enhanced well-being, executive function, and _______ in surgery residents
working memory capacity
