(*Unfinished) 6B: Making sense of the environment (Part 2)

Question 1

Memory encoding

Answer 1

Allows information to be converted into a construct that is stored in the brain indefinitely
* First step to creating a new memory

Question 2

What does encoding begin with?

Answer 2

Perception
* The organization, identification and interpretation of sensory information

Question 3

Stimuli

Answer 3

A term used to describe anything that elicits a response from receptor

Question 4

Hippocampus

Answer 4

Complex brain structure that has a major role in learning and memory

Question 5

What is the steps in perception?

Answer 5

1. Stimuli are perceived by senses
2. Travel to the thalamus, synthesized as an experience
3. Hippocampus analyzes and decides whether to commit to long-term memory

Question 6

Potentiation

Answer 6

The increase in strength of nerve impulses along pathways which have been used previously

Question 7

What are the 4 primary types of encoding?

Answer 7

1. Visual
2. Acoustic
3. Elaborative
4. Semantic

Question 8

Visual encoding

Answer 8

Proccess of encoding images and visual sensory
* Amygdala plays a large role

Question 9

Acoustic encoding

Answer 9

Use of auditory stimuli or hearing to implant memories

Question 10

What is acoustic encoding aided by?

Answer 10

Phonological loop
* Process by which sounds are sub-vocally rehearsed in order to be remembered

Question 11

Elaborative encoding

Answer 11

Uses information that is already known and relates it to the new information being experienced

Question 12

Semantic encoding

Answer 12

The use of sensory input that has a specific meaning or can be applied to a context (semantic)

Question 13

What aids in semantic encoding?

Answer 13

• Chunking (organizing parts of objects into meaningful wholes)
• Mnemonics

Question 14

State-dependent learning

Answer 14

When a person remembers information based on the state of mind (or mood) they are in when they learn it

Question 15

What is a large part of state-dependent learning?

Answer 15

Retrieval cues

Question 16

Memory consolidation

Answer 16

A category of processes that stabilize a memory trace after its initial acquisition

Question 17

Encoding vs. Consolidation

Answer 17

Encoding requires attention and conscious effort

Consolidation is more an unconscious, biological process

Question 18

Are memories stored as exact replicas of experiences?

Answer 18

No, they are modified and reconstructed during retrieval and recall

Question 19

Memory encoding

Answer 19

The process of converting information into a construct that can be stored within the brain

Question 20

Sensory memory

Answer 20

The brief storage (in memory) of information experienced by the senses; typically only lasts up to a few seconds

Milliseconds to 5 seconds

Question 21

What are the types of sensory memory?

Answer 21

1. Echoic memory (sound)
2. Iconic memory (image)

Echoic has 2-3 second storage
Iconic has <1 second storage

Question 22

Short term memory

Answer 22

Known as working memory
* The system that actively holds multiple pieces of information in the mind for the execution of verbal and nonverbal tasks
* Makes them available for further information processing

Question 23

What are the kinds of long-term memory?

Answer 23

1. Explicit (declarative)
2. Implicit

Question 24

Explicit memory

Answer 24

Long-term memories that are consciously remembered

Question 25

Implicit memories

Answer 25

Long term memories that are not consciously remembered * Procedural memories, emotional conditioning etc.

Question 26

What kind of explicit memories are there?

Answer 26

* Episodic: Includes specific events/episodes * Semantive: Common knowledge or concepts

Question 27

Items stored in short-term memory move to long-term memory through...

Answer 27

* Rehearsal * Processing * Use

Question 28

Retrograde memories

Answer 28

Memories that occurred prior to an injury or illness

Question 29

Multi-trace distributed memory model

Answer 29

Suggests that the memories being encoded are converted to vectors, with each value or "feature" in the vector representing a different attribute of the item to be encoded. Vectors are then added to a matrix. ## Footnote Vectors are known as "memory traces" Matrices are known as "memory arrays"

Question 30

Vector | Computational neuroscience

Answer 30

A list containing several values

Question 31

Matrix | Computational neuroscience

Answer 31

A list containing several vectors

Question 32

What are the 2 key limitations to the multi-trace model?

Answer 32

1. The notion of an evergrowing matrix within human memory 2. Idea of computational searches for specific memories

Question 33

Neural network model

Answer 33

Assumes neurons form a complex network with other neurons, forming a highly interconnected network

Question 34

Each neuron is characterized by...

Answer 34

Activation value * How much energy it takes to activate that neuron

Question 35

The connection between two neurons is characterized by...

Answer 35

Weight value * How strong the connection between those neurons is

Question 36

In the neural network model, what happens in the process of memory storage?

Answer 36

Connections are formed in the process of memory storage