unit 3 aos 2 part 2 memory

Question 1

memory

Answer 1

Memory is the process of encoding, storing and retrieving information that has been acquired through learning.

Question 2

encoding

Answer 2

conversion of sensory information into a usable form so that it can be neurologically represented and stored in the brain.

Question 3

storage

Answer 3

retention of the encoded information over time.

Question 4

retrieval

Answer 4

recovery of stored information for use when needed.

Question 5

atkinson shiffrin multi store model of memory (+3 stores)

Answer 5

It considers memory as a system with three distinct stores which interact to encode, store and retrieve information.
The Atkinson-Shiffrin multi-store model of memory outlines three separate stores of memory:
Sensory memory
Short-term memory
Long-term memory

Question 6

sensory memory

Answer 6

It is a store of memory which very briefly stores raw information detected by the senses. Information is an exact replica of that which is in your environment, meaning that it has not yet been encoded into a form recognised by the brain.

Question 7

sensory memory capacity

Answer 7

unlimited

Question 8

sensory memory duration

Answer 8

0.2-4 seconds

Question 9

how does information move from sensory to short term memory

Answer 9

Through the process of attention. When you pay attention to sensory input, the brain processes and selects the relevant information for further processing.

Question 10

short term memory

Answer 10

a store of memory that holds a limited amount of information that is consciously being attended to and actively manipulated.

Question 11

where does information come from (STM)

Answer 11

Information from your sensory memory, which you have paid attention to will move into your STM.
Information from your long-term memory that you can retrieve can also move to your conscious awareness and exist within your STM.

Question 12

short term memory capacity

Answer 12

Limited capacity of 7 +/- 2 items (i.e. 5-9 items).
Information in excess of this capacity is lost or forgotten.
Capacity can be manipulated using chunking.

Question 13

short term memory duration

Answer 13

Limited duration of up to 15 - 30 seconds if information is not attended to.
Duration can be manipulated using rehearsal.

Question 14

chunking

Answer 14

Chunking is a process of combining small pieces of information into larger groups of information (chunks). These chunks are more meaningful.

Question 15

maintenance rehearsal

Answer 15

Maintenance rehearsal is the repetition of information repeatedly.
This type of rehearsal does not change or add new meaning to the information.
Maintenance rehearsal is an effective means of retaining information in STM

Question 16

elaborative rehearsal

Answer 16

It involves linking and organising new information with existing information already in storage in a meaningful way.
Elaborative rehearsal is more effective in transferring information into LTM from STM

Question 17

long term memory

Answer 17

a store of memory in which a potentially unlimited amount of information is stored for a relatively permanent amount of time.
It contains all the information you retain from past events, as well as your knowledge of facts.
This information is further processed into different types of LTM and organised in different parts of the brain.

Question 18

long term memory capacity

Answer 18

potentially unlimited

Question 19

duration of long term memory

Answer 19

relatively permanent

Question 20

why is it hard to access info in LTM

Answer 20

Sometimes we are unable to retrieve and access information in LTM as we may be unaware of how to retrieve it or are not prompted by the right retrieval cues.

Question 21

2 strengths of atkinson shiffrin model of memory

Answer 21

the model distinguishes between the different stores involved in memory through it’s capacity, duration and other, the model provides a good understanding of the structure and process of memory

Question 22

2 limitations of atkinson shiffrin model of memory

Answer 22

the model may be oversimplified as it is suggested that STM has multiple components, the model ignores factors like motivation and strategy which can facilitate learning and assist in encoding info from STM to LTM

Question 23

2 types of long term memory

Answer 23

explicit and implicit memory

Question 24

explicit memory (+2 types)

Answer 24

information that can be consciously/voluntarily retrieved from stm and stated/declared, such as ‘known facts’. semantic and episodic memory.

Question 25

semantic memory

Answer 25

the declarative memory of facts or knowledge about the world

Question 26

episodic memory

Answer 26

the declarative memory of personally experienced events

Question 27

implicit memory (+2 types)

Answer 27

memory not requiring conscious retrieval, such as ‘how to’ skills. procedural and classically conditioned memory.

Question 28

procedural memory

Answer 28

knowledge of skills, habits or actions

Question 29

classically conditioned memory

Answer 29

learned emotional reaction occurs in response to a stimulus or an event that you have formed an association with.

Question 30

5 brain structures

Answer 30

hippocampus, amygdala, neocortex, basal ganglia, cerebellum.

Question 31

where is the hippocampus located?

Answer 31

located in the temporal lobe of the brain. There is one in each hemisphere, deep within the brain.

Question 32

what is the hippocampus involved in?

Answer 32

The hippocampus is primarily involved in the formation, consolidation and encoding of explicit (semantic and episodic) memories. the hippocampus is primarily involved in the retrieval of episodic memories.

Question 33

what happens when the hippocampus is damaged?

Answer 33

People who have damage to the hippocampus may experience difficulty forming new explicit memories. they also experience difficulty remembering past events and also struggle to imagine future scenarios.

Question 34

where is the amygdala located?

Answer 34

The amygdala is located just above the hippocampus within the temporal lobe.

Question 35

what is the amygdala involved in?

Answer 35

It is described as the ‘fear centre’ of the brain and is responsible for the encoding and strengthening of the emotional components of classically conditioned and explicit memories.

Question 36

where is the neocortex located?

Answer 36

The neocortex covers most of the brain’s surface and consists of four lobes, with memories being stored in particular locations depending on the type of memory and where it was processed. Consists of 6 layers

Question 37

what is the neocortex involved in?

Answer 37

Once episodic and semantic (explicit) memories are converted into a useable form in the hippocampus, they are stored within the neocortex to be retrieved for later use.

Question 38

where is the basal ganglia located?

Answer 38

The basal ganglia is located in the middle of the brain

Question 39

what is the basal ganglia involved in?

Answer 39

It is involved in encoding and storing procedural memories and classically conditioned memories that are associated with unconscious habits, behaviours or procedures.

Question 40

where is the cerebellum located?

Answer 40

The cerebellum is located at the base of the brain.

Question 41

what is the cerebellum involved in?

Answer 41

It encodes and stores implicit procedural memories, due to the cerebellum being involved in the processes of motor control, coordination and balance.

Question 42

autobiographical events

Answer 42

refers to experiences that have occurred to us at some time in our own lives. They are stored in our LTM and are retrieved every time you think or speak about them.

Question 43

how do we retrieve and become consciously aware of an autobiographical event.

Answer 43

We have to engage in mental time travel and place ourselves in the context of the event. The ability to travel mentally through time, to remember thoughts and feelings from the recent or distant past is unique to episodic memory.

Question 44

possible imagined futures

Answer 44

This refers to hypothetical experiences and situations that an individual has the ability to create and conceptualise in their mind.

Question 45

what types of memory are involved in constructing possible imagined futures? (2)

Answer 45

episodic and semantic memory.

Question 46

neurodegenerative diseases

Answer 46

characterised by the progressive loss of neurons in the brain (initially in the hippocampus).

Question 47

alzheimer's disease

Answer 47

an example of a neurodegenerative disease that is characterised by the gradual widespread degeneration of brain neurons, progressively causing memory decline.

Question 48

how can a conclusive diagnosis of alzheimer's be made?

Answer 48

From post-mortem examinations, lesions which refer to an area of tissue that has been damaged due to disease or injury can be examined through neuroimaging.

Question 49

what are the two primary lesions associated with alzheimer's and where are they located?

Answer 49

predominantly identified in the hippocampus. amyloid plaques and neurofibrillary tangles.

Question 50

amyloid plaques

Answer 50

Fragments of the protein beta-amyloid that accumulates into insoluble plaques that inhibit communication between neurons.

Question 51

neurofibrillary tangles

Answer 51

An accumulation of the protein tau that forms insoluble tangles within neurons, which then inhibit the transportation of essential substances and eventually kills the neuron entirely.

Question 52

HOW DOES ALZEHIMER’S DISEASE AFFECT EPISODIC AND SEMANTIC MEMORY? (2)

Answer 52

patients with Alzheimer’s disease may struggle to remember semantic and episodic components of personally experienced events. Additionally, a study has found that individuals with Alzheimer’s disease lacked the capacity to draw on episodic and semantic memories in order to plan and construct new future scenarios.

Question 53

aphantasia

Answer 53

a phenomenon in which individuals lack the capacity to generate mental imagery. Mental imagery can vary in details and vividness, however those with aphantasia describe themselves as not having the power to generate metal imagery altogether.

Question 54

mental imagery

Answer 54

refers to the visual representations and experiences of sensory information without the presence of sensory stimuli.

Question 55

is there a cause for aphantasia?

Answer 55

There is no known cause for aphantasia; individuals can be born with it or suddenly acquire it during life

Question 56

how do individuals with aphantasia create mental imagery

Answer 56

individuals use sensory information that has been organised in short-term memory and then transferred to long-term memory to recreate perceptual experiences.

Question 57

how do people without aphantasia create mental imagery

Answer 57

People without aphantasia are likely to draw on both episodic and semantic memory when creating mental imagery.

Question 58

aphantasia's link to autobiographical events and possible imagined futures

Answer 58

It is difficult for people with aphantasia to retrieve personal experiences as they cannot generate vivid, detailed mental imagery of past autobiographical events from their long-term memory. This then makes it difficult to construct possible imagined futures. Although they are able to apply non-visual components of autobiographical memories to future events, their lack of mental imagery makes this process more difficult and less vivid than those without the condition.