taxonomies of learning

What are the two main types of learning?

Associative and non-associative learning.

What is non-associative learning?

Learning from repeated exposure to a single stimulus.

What are the two main forms of non-associative learning?

Habituation and sensitization.

What is associative learning?

Learning relationships between stimuli, behaviours, or events.

What are the two main types of associative learning?

Respondent conditioning and operant conditioning.

What is declarative (explicit) memory?

Conscious memory for facts and events.

What is semantic memory?

Factual knowledge about the world.

What is episodic memory?

Memory for personal experiences and events.

What is non-declarative (implicit) memory?

Unconscious memory such as skills and conditioning.

What is procedural memory?

Memory for skills and habits (“if…then” memories).

Who searched for the memory “engram”?

Karl Lashley.

What did Lashley find about memory storage?

Small cortical lesions had little effect, but large lesions impaired learning.

What is the principle of equipotentiality?

All cortical regions can contribute equally to learning.

What is the principle of mass action?

Learning ability depends on the amount of cortex available.

Which brain structure is important for declarative and spatial memory?

The hippocampus.

Which brain structure is important for emotional memories?

The amygdala.

Which brain structure is important for procedural memories?

The cerebellum.

Which brain area is important for working memory?

The frontal cortex.

Who proposed that memories are stored through structural neural changes?

Ramon y Cajal.

What structural brain changes are linked to learning?

New synapses and growth of dendritic branches and spines.

What is neurogenesis?

The creation of new neurons in the brain.

Where does adult neurogenesis occur?

In the olfactory bulb, hippocampus, and possibly neocortex.

How do enriched environments affect the brain?

They increase dendritic complexity, synapses, and brain activity.

Who proposed the Hebbian theory of learning?

Donald Hebb.

What is a Hebbian synapse?

A strengthened synapse formed by repeated simultaneous activity.

What does “cells that fire together, wire together” mean?

Neurons that activate together strengthen their connection.

What did Eric Kandel show using sea slugs?

Habituation involves reduced neurotransmitter release at synapses.

What is long-term potentiation (LTP)?

A long-lasting increase in synaptic strength after high-frequency stimulation.

Where was LTP first strongly demonstrated?

In the hippocampus.

How is fear conditioning linked to LTP?

Pavlovian fear conditioning can produce LTP in the amygdala.