week 3: episodic memory Flashcards
1
Q
semantic vs episodic memory
A
- episodic: specific moments/events in your life (‘reliving’ past events mentally)
- semantic: general world knowledge (facts, ideas concepts)
2
Q
what did endel tulving say about episodic memory
A
- mental time travel
- in line w ideas of auto noetic consciousness
- adaptive roll of EM for future planning
3
Q
mental time travel in rats
A
- trained rats on maze and recorded hippocampus activity
- looked at same area when they slept
- during slow wave sleep, same neural activity was found
- hippocampus ‘plays back’ encoded events
4
Q
consolidation process transfers info from hippocampus to ____ in mental time travel
A
neocortex
5
Q
serial position effects on episodic memory
A
- primacy effect reflects novelty
6
Q
levels of representation
A
- we process experiences at many levels, each level encodes a separate memory trace
- mental model: rep of what is being described by the text
- text base: abstraction over text, independent of word/syntax used
- surface form: verbatim words and syntax in the text
7
Q
what aspect of levels of representation decline the fastest
A
surface form, you remember the idea rather than exact wording of it better
8
Q
mental models and EM
A
- contain the info in the text
- involved inferences we make based on prior knowledge
- can be used to make decisions on past experiences
9
Q
overall, episodic memories and mental models are supported by what area of the brain
A
posterior medial brain network (includes: temporal lobe and parietal lobe)
10
Q
default modes network
A
- mental models supported by posterior medial brain network
- contributes to episodic memory (past and future) and mind wandering
- gives EM flexibility
11
Q
Cuing and EM
A
- cuing helps retrieval by assessing memory traces w the same info
- takes abt 1-2 seconds
- more effective if they correspond w fewer memories
12
Q
feature vs context cues
A
- feature: components of the memory, some better than others, self-reference effect
- context: context in which memory was formed, can be external (enviro) or internal (mental state)
13
Q
self reference effect
A
- you serve as your best cue
- of you can relate things to aspects of who you are, your memory will be better
- spontaneous
14
Q
brain areas involved in feature cues, context cues, and binding them together
A
feature= perirhinal cortex (PRC)
context= neocortal areas> parahippocampal region
together= hippocampus
15
Q
what is most critical in a cue is how ___ it is
A
diagnostic, fewer memories associated w it=better cue
16
Q
t or f: cues can help strengthen memories even if the process is unconscious
A
true, people who smell cue during sleep may activate the memory and therefore strengthen it
17
Q
hippocampus integrates info from ____ and ___ input
A
anterior and posterior
18
Q
which corresponds better with content and which with context information: posterior and anterior
A
posterior=context
anterior=content
19
Q
encoding specificity
A
- enviro can provide context to memory
- memory is improved when retrieval context matches encoding content (better memory in og learning enviro)
20
Q
encoding specificity principal
A
superior ability to remember when retrieval context matches encoding context
21
Q
state dependent memory
A
- internal context (physiological state)
- memory is better when state during recall matches state during encoding (always better when sober though)
22
Q
mood dependent memory
A
- mood can act as a memory content
- memory is better when mood during learning matches mood during recall
- brain regions associated with positive/neg emotions are activated when memories are thought of (ie amygdala and orbitofrontal cortex)
23
Q
mood congruent memory
A
- it is easier to think of things consistent with a persons current mood
24
Q
transfer appropriate processing
A
- memory is better when using mental processes that are in line with those used at time of encoding
- ex bilingual tested in same lang as they learned
25
repetition effect
- more likely to remember info if its exposed more than once
- type of practice impacts memory
26
when learning emphasizes ____ it has greater positive effect on direct memory test but when it focuses on ___ it has greater effect on indirect memory tests
meaning, shallow surface characteristics
27
massed and distributed definitions
- massed: one, lengthy study period
- distributed: effort is spread out across many study periods
28
which is better: massed or distributed
- distributed
- longer spacing between practice=better memory
- consolidation account
- effects as short as a few seconds or up to one week
- spacing or lag effect
29
consolidation account (massed vs distributed)
- massed practice is inferior bc consolidation has not run its course yet
- mass practice may overload the system
- more time for consolidation (sleep)
30
four reasons why distributed practice is better
- consolidation account
- study-phase retrieval account
- contextual variability account
- deficient processing account
31
study-phase retrieval account (massed vs distributed)
- one study session in distributed may remind you of previous study sessions leading to easier recall
-
32
contextual variability account (massed vs distributed)
- during massed, context doesn't change but during distributed other things in the enviro can change and give more retrieval pathways and more ways to improve engagement w the material
33
deficient processing account (massed vs distributed)
- when studying during one session, you become habituated/ bored and attend to it less, so you're less likely to deeply engage and there is limited effort for retrieval bc you may not have committed it to memory
- assume things are learnt and dont commit time to encoding it bc it is fresh
- mind wandering
34
schedules of practice
- uniform: consistent delay between practice
- expanding: increasing delays between practice
- contacting: decreasing delays between practice
35
overlearning
- possible to over learn if we cont to practice after memorization is achieved
- strengthens memories and increases resistance to forgetting
36
permastore
- memories here are less likely to be forgotten
- enter after distributed practice and over learning
37
testing effect/retrieval practice effect
- people learn more after initial study period by testing rather than further study
- testing increases memory consolidation
- effect not found or learning verbal info
- critical point is the retreival part
38
elaborate retrieval hypothesis
- testing effect occurs bc ppl engage in deeper processing while taking a test
- testing increases the degree to which ppl organize info in the mind, boosting later retrieval
39
dual memory framework
- memories generated during study differ from those generated during retrieval
- ppl have more traces available during retrieval
40
episodic context account
- ppl encode og context and use context as part of memory search
during retrieval
- if retrieval is successful, there is a memory w the new context that can be used to help later retrieval
41
relational processing hypothesis
- builds on findings that testing effect is more likely and larger for recall than recognition during learning
- recall=more likely to emphasize relational processing whereas recog. tests are more likely to emphasize item-specific processing
- make connection, organize info, improve performance
42
chunking and EM
- organizing info improves episodic memory
- chunking pieces of info by broader categories
- improves LTM by reducing load on WM
43
distinctiveness
- separates competing memories and reduces interference
- retrieval is better for distinct info
- context can contribute to distinctiveness of memory
- emo events (usually neg) are typically better remembered
- unexpected events increase neural processing
44
bizarre imagery effect
- ppl form mental images of what they are trying to remember
- forming mental mages involves work and improves memory
- bizarre images are even better remembered
45
isolation effect
- distinctive info can be isolated from contrasting context
46
von restorff effect
- words in a list that stand out are better remembered (ie tulip in list of cars, or one red word in list of black words)
47
relational snd item specific processing
- relational: helps generate retrieval plan for later recall
- item specific: reduces sources of interference
48
fuzzy trace memory
- different memory traces work together during retrieval
- EM involves both details and gist
- can help explain formation of false memories
- detail= parahippocampal gyrus and early visual cortex
- gist = inferior frontal gyrus
49
material appropriate processing
- we do better if learning emphasizes info for which memory is weak
50
prospective memory
- memory for future
- distinct from retrospective memory
- more important the task, more likely itll be done
- we are more conscious of prospective memory errors
51
four types of prospective memory
- event based: event signal actions that need to be done (ie deliver message when you see someone)
- time based: remember to do smth at specific time (ie birthday)
- location based: remember to do smth at a location (ie get milk at store)
- activity based: complete task after another task is done (email after meeting)
52
episodic future thinking
- mental time travel
- similar processes as episodic retrospective memory but more difficult and less vivid
- easier to imagine sitch we have alrdy experienced
53
constructive episodic simulation hypothesis
- when you think abt the future, you use prior episodic memories of similar experiences to guide what we imagine the future will be like
