Memory And Forgetting Flashcards
(27 cards)
What are the three main elements of memory?
The 3 main elements of memory are :
- sensory stores
- short term store
- long term store
Discuss sensory stores?
Sensory memory hold sensory information for less then one second after the item is perceived.
Discuss short term store?
Short term memory you only remember for a short amount of time without rehearsal.
Discuss long term store?
Long term memory can store much larger quantities of information for a potential unlimited duration
What is somatic encoding?
Semantic encoding is thinking about the meaning of a word, and thinking about how the word fits into a sentence that makes you remember, it can also involve physical and acoustic features to help you remember
How is semantic encoding beneficial?
Semantic encoding reduces interferences and makes memories more distinctive.
What is context dependency(memory storage) ?
The environmental conditions where you learn make a difference to how well you remember it.
What are the different processes of memory storage?
Long- term for encoding in long term Emory we must think about things very deeply. (- Semantic encoding )
- Context Dependancy
- internal state
- Mood-Dependency
- State Dependancy
- Sleep and Consolidation
What is state dependency ( memory storage )
State Dependancy is more about being able to recall information better when you feel the same as you did when it was learnt.
What is Mood Dependancy(memory storage)
Your more likely to recall unhappy information that’s been encoded in a sad mood when your sad.
What is sleep and consolidation (memory storage)?
Slow-wake sleep is important for memory consolidation.
What are the two long-term memory store locations?
Hippocampus-Unique experiences of people/places/objects in events (i.e., episodic memory)
Anterior temporal lobe -Similarities between experiences to create concepts (i.e., semantic memory)
How does hippocampus encode information? ( multi-store elements of an episode)
The hippocampus forms links between elements (people, place and objects) of an episode.
Neurones in the hippocampus binds together things in a memory to reinstate the full picture.
Where in the hippocampus is each memory encoded before being bound?
Place- Parahippocampal
Object- Inferior temporal lobe
People- Anterior temporal lobe
How is memory retrieved in the hippocampus?
One element of the story is a cue. This cue then brings back the whole experience.
Why do we forget in short term memory?
Things are forgotten when we become distracted
Why may things be forgotten in long term memory?
- failure to encode it deeply
- ineffective cues that prevent access to the memory
- interference from similar memories
What is amnesia?
Amnesia is failure to form new long term memories due to damage to the medial temporal lobes.
What are the temporal gradients of amnesia?
Retrograde= birth to injury
Anterograde= injury to present
What are the two forms of information/ memory forms preserved in amnesia and what does this suggest?
Non-declarative memory: people with amnesia still have good motor memory. This shows that hippocampus is not required in non-conscious learning.
Semantic information : theres normal retention of factual knowledge. They are able to do tests such as providing definitions, naming pictures and understanding sentences.
This shows that the hippocampus is not the only place of memory storage.
What are the common causes of amnesia?
- Head injury
- Alzheimer’s disease
- viral infection ( especially herpes simplex encephalitis )
- long term alcoholism (Korsakoff’s syndrome)
- head injury
- anoxia- cells of the hippocampus not getting enough oxygen
During amnesia not all episodes are lost why?
Through a process of consolidation memories may loose their reliance on the hippocampus. Over time links form with the neocortex what directly associates elements ( place, people and object). So information can be retrieved without going to the hippocampus. Therefore childhood memories are preserved in the neocortex.
Which part of declarative long term memory is preserved in amnesia?
Episodic memories ( events that happened to us)- are impaired, so theres inability to form memories
Semantic memories - these are spared as they involve factual knowledge - also the lateral part of the inferior temporal lobe
What i semantic dementia?
Semantic dementia is caused by damage to the neocortical store. It’s a subtype of frontotemporal dementia. Damage in the medial aspects of the temporal lobe. They have bilateral astrophy( astrophy is the degeneration or shrinkage of muscle or nerve tissue )
