Lecture 2 Questions

Question 1

BADDELEY & HITCH’S WORKING MEMORY MODEL
how is STM maintained by the functions of the following components of this system:

1. central executive
2. visuo-spatial sketch pad
3. phonological loop
4. episodic buffer

Answer 1

1. central executive - center for working memory, manipulates mem, main area for recall and processing, decision making, problem solving, and other cog. functions [ prefrontal cortex ]
2. visuo-spatial sketch pad - receives neural input via events experienced in the environment, converts information & maintains visual/spatial images, organizes information by time and space (when and where), engage VSP by arousing or rewarding [ occipital lobe ]
3. phonological loop - maintains auditory representation of experienced events (3 parts: phonological recoder, articulatory loop, phonological store) [ broca & wernicke’s area ]
4. episodic buffer - combines subsystem information, forms temporal representation in stm (space and time) parietal lobe ]

Question 2

BADDELEY & HITCH’S WORKING MEMORY MODEL
what roles do each of the subcomponents of the Phonological Loop contribute to STM:

1. phonological recoder
2. articulatory loop
3. phonological store

Answer 2

1. phonological recoder (area 44-45) - remembers visual representation of information through SUBVOCAL voice
2. articulatory loop (cerebellum) - STM for recoder
3. phonological store (wernicke’s area) - semantics and meaning for auditory sound

Question 3

HEBB’S VIEW OF HOW INFORMATION IS REPRESENTED & STORED INTO MEMORY
the concept of the Cell Assembly is representative of _______ ?

Answer 3

all the neurons activated by a learning event

Question 4

HEBB’S VIEW OF HOW INFORMATION IS REPRESENTED & STORED INTO MEMORY
What is the functional purpose of the following within Hebb’s Model:

1. concept of sustained activity
2. reverberation
3. Hebbian Modification
4. consolidation

Answer 4

1. concept of sustained activity - same as reverberation ???
2. reverberation - cells remain active even after stimulus is removed
3. Hebbian Modification - reciprocal connection between neurons that active at the same time are strengthened - HM also contains ENGRAM (the actual “physical” memory of the event located in the cells)
4. consolidation - cells that fire together wire together (combining many parts into a whole)

Question 5

HEBB’S VIEW OF HOW INFORMATION IS REPRESENTED & STORED INTO MEMORY
what component of Hebb’s model is responsible for representing a stored memory?

Answer 5

engram

Question 6

HEBB’S VIEW OF HOW INFORMATION IS REPRESENTED & STORED INTO MEMORY
How can Hebb’s “Cell Assembly” model be used to represent the process of rehearsal
that occurs in the short term store?

Answer 6

this process happens in the PFC

in working memory when new information comes in, the partial activation leads to the activation of an entire representation

rehearsing = neurons active = reciprocal connections are strengthened

Question 7

HEBB’S VIEW OF HOW INFORMATION IS REPRESENTED & STORED INTO MEMORY
Understand the phrase “Cells that FIRE together WIRE together”

Answer 7

partial activation leads to activation of the entire representation of an event