Lecture 7 - Memory and Forgetting Flashcards
What is a single dissociation in neuropsychology?
A single dissociation occurs when damage to one brain area disrupts Function A but leaves Function B intact, indicating that the two functions are at least partially different.
What is a double dissociation in neuropsychology?
A double dissociation requires finding patients who show the opposite pattern: damage to Area 2 leaves Function A intact but disrupts Function B, indicating that Functions A and B are independent.
What was a key finding from studying Patient HM?
HM showed normal working memory but could not form new long-term memories (anterograde amnesia). This provided evidence for the distinction between working memory and long-term memory.
How did HM’s memory show a double dissociation between working and long-term memory?
HM had normal memory span (working memory) but could not transfer information to long-term memory, showing the separation between the two types of memory.
What is the difference between declarative and non-declarative memory?
Declarative memory involves facts and events that can be consciously recalled (e.g., episodic and semantic memory), while non-declarative memory involves skills and actions that are not consciously accessible (e.g., procedural memory).
How can patients with anterograde amnesia still learn new skills?
Despite impaired declarative memory (e.g., facts and events), patients with anterograde amnesia can still learn perceptual skills, problem-solving skills, and procedural tasks (e.g., Tower of Hanoi, billiards, or computer operation).
Can brain damage impair procedural memory without affecting declarative memory?
Yes, brain damage can cause impairments in procedural memory (e.g., apraxia, aphasia, acalculia, prosopagnosia) while leaving declarative memory intact.
What is the difference between episodic and semantic memory?
Episodic memory refers to the memory of personal experiences and events (“mental time travel”), while semantic memory refers to general knowledge about the world (e.g., facts, concepts, names).
How does semantic dementia affect episodic and semantic memory?
In semantic dementia, semantic memory (e.g., knowledge of facts, objects, people) deteriorates, but episodic memory (e.g., personal experiences) can remain preserved, especially for recent events.
What evidence supports a double dissociation between episodic and semantic memory?
Patients like KC and Clive Wearing have no recollection of personal experiences (episodic memory loss) but retain knowledge of facts (semantic memory intact). On the other hand, patients with semantic dementia have impaired semantic memory but preserved episodic memory.
What types of memory were tested in semantic dementia patients in Adlam, Patterson, and Hodges (2009)?
Patients were tested on semantic memory (e.g., object and sound knowledge, map location) and episodic memory (e.g., memory for recent episodes, specific events).
What are the key points in understanding working memory (WM) capacity?
Working memory has a limited capacity. Sensory memory stores large amounts of information that decays quickly. Only information that receives attention is maintained in working memory.
How does attention influence what we perceive and remember?
Attention filters what we perceive and store, guided by our past experiences and what is deemed important or rewarding. This means our memory and perception are not accurate, but influenced by individual attentional filters.
How does worrying affect working memory (WM)?
Worrying competes for resources in working memory, limiting its capacity, especially in stressful situations like exams.
What did Ramirez & Beilock (2011) test in their study on stress and working memory?
They tested whether reducing or eliminating worrying could decrease the freezing under pressure effect during high-pressure math problems.
What were the results of Ramirez & Beilock’s (2011) study?
The expressive writing group (writing about their feelings) performed more accurately on the post-test, showing that writing about worries could free up working memory resources.
What types of recall tests are used to measure forgetting?
Free recall, cued recall, serial recall, and recognition tests.
What is the difference between recall and recognition tests?
Recall involves retrieving information without cues, while recognition involves identifying previously learned material from a list of options.
What did Ebbinghaus (1885) contribute to the study of forgetting?
He tested forgetting by learning lists of nonsense syllables and measuring how much was retained after varying time intervals.
How does forgetting follow a predictable pattern according to research?
Forgetting is often described by a power function, where retention decreases systematically over time.
Why is the orderliness of forgetting important in understanding memory?
It suggests that forgetting is not simply due to decay but might involve retrieval failure or interference from other memories.
What factors contribute to forgetting, aside from decay?
Retrieval failure, interference from similar memories, and inadequate cues.
What is interference theory in forgetting?
Interference theory suggests that forgetting happens because new information disrupts the recall of old information, or vice versa.
How does proactive interference affect memory?
Proactive interference occurs when previously learned information makes it harder to learn and recall new information.
