Psychology of memory Flashcards
What is memory?
How is this linked to learning?
Memory is the selective acquisition (learning) then selective retrival of information for future use (remembering)
It is an example of neural plasticity
Requires synchronized activity in multiple specialized brain regions.
What are the different stages of memory?
The initial learning process or encoding of information
The storage and consolidation of information.
The retrieval of memory
What causes us to forget a memory? (3 ways)
The retrieval processes of stored information has failed
1. unsuccessful storage
2. loss of the memory trace
3. Failure to locate the trace at retrieval
What is meant by a memory trace?
A hypothetical change in the brains neurological system, the neuronal pathways.
What are the two main subgroups of memory?
Short term and long term memory
What are the two subgroups of long term memory?
Declarative - explicit, brought into consciousnes awareness, something recalled for a test
Non-declarative - implicit, can not be brought into conscious awareness, only demonstrated band learnt by an experience
What are the division of declarative memory?
Episodic memory - personal experiences from a specific time and a space, remembered as a story or episode
Semantic memory - word knowledge, object knowledge, language and conceptual priming.
What is meant by conceptual priming as a semantic memory?
A recall or schemas, cats have four legs, the next thing i see with four legs is therefore a cat
Is fact related
What are some sub-divisions of non-declarative memory?
Procedural memory - learning a procedure or congtive skills (muscle memory)
Classical conditioning
Non-associative learning - habitualisation (stop responding to a stimulus), sensitisation (responds to a weaker stimulus)
Perceptual representation system - priming based on sensory stimuli
What is meant by schemas in psychology and how does this make learning easier?
Schemas are association made between pieces of information, such as grouping things into categories.
This makes in easier, as rules of information are quicker to store compared to the actual information itself.
What is short term memory?
How do we solidifying it?
The ability to store a small amount of information for active use for a short amount of time, is kept in short term memory by rehersal.
Short term memory may also include the information retrieved from the long term memeory
What is the working memory?
A system to select, temporary store, long term encode, retrieve and manipulate information.
This aids the completion of more cogntivly demaning tasks by connecting short term memory, long term memory and actions.
What is meant by a capacity constraint of memory?
What factors can cause it to be reached?
An interference in the working memory, so is not able to reach optimal functioning.
Can be caused by stress, poor sleep, excess alcohol consumption, medication, pathological injuries or consuming thoughts.
This may present through learning difficulties.
What is cognitive load?
The effort required to recall or create new memories. The effort of thinking.
What is a common subgroup of retrospect amnesia?
Short term memory is more fragile in its retrieval than long term retrieval
Amnesia patients can often remember their childhood years ago but struggle to remember what they had for dinner the day before.
What is the key difference between episodic and semantic memory?
Episodic is related to a temporal event (specific time and place in a persons life) an episode. Specific to an individual, always in first person.
Semantic does not, pure fact recall. Shared across individuals in a culture.
What does the semantic system allow in terms of categorisation?
Allows facts to be generalised to a novel concept
Allows identification of facts that do not fit within a concept.
What is the hippocampuses main role in relation to psychology?
Critical role in learning, emotional responses and memory formation/storage.
What are the three main memory functions of the hippocampus?
Memory formation - registers short term information into long term memory storage, influences the ability to encode and retrieve information
Informs behavioral responses - draws from memory of previous experiences to influence our actions
Spatial cognition - rembers spatial information, such as driving routes or finding a ward in a hospital.
What pathologies can cause damage to the hippocampus?
What are the early signs of damage to the hippocampus?
Alzhiemers disease (most common)
Encephalitits, stroke etc
Struggle to form new episodic memory and learn the layout of unfamiliar locations.
What does damage to the hippocampi cause?
Severe difficulty learning new episodic and semantic memory
Difficulty recalling episodic and semantic memory.
Loss of memory is often on a temporal gradient meaning older memories are easier to recall.
Using the example of Clive Waring, explain the effects of hippocampal damage on memeory>
Clive retained implicit memory, such as perceptual memory very good on the piano. Able to recognise feeling of love towards his wife but not who she is or previous memories.
Struggled to make or recall new memories.
Seven second memory, constantly feeling as if he had just woken up
What does the hippocampus do in relation to episodic memory?
Binds together sensory representations of an event in a specific spatial context
The orbitofrontal cortex contributes to the when of the event.
The hippocampus allows for mental time travel, contextual detail or recall of a sensation in a past tense.
What is meant by the hippocampus having a role in system consolidation?
Strengthens episodic memory
Forms sematic memory, extracts themes are rules and makes into general world knowledge.
