Schema, Memory, and Neurotransmittion

Social Schema

Mental frameworks about groups of people; stereotypes influencing perception and memory

Script Schema

Schema for a sequence of events (ex: restaurant script)

Self-Schema

Beliefs and knowledge about yourself that shape interpretation

Bottom-up Processing

Perception driven by raw stimuli without expectations

Top-down Processing

Schema-driven perception where expectations shape interpretation

Misinformation Effect

Distortion of memory when given false info during reconstruction.

Loftus & Palmer — Aim

Test whether leading questions change memory of a car crash

Loftus & Palmer — Procedure

Participants watched a crash video and were asked speed questions using different verbs; later asked about broken glass

Loftus & Palmer — Results

Stronger verbs increased speed estimates; “smashed” group falsely recalled broken glass

Flashbulb Memory

Emotional and vivid memories that feel accurate but are often distorted

Neurotransmission

Communication between neurons through electrical impulses and chemical signals

Thick Myelin Sheath

Increases speed and efficiency of neurotransmission

Thin Myelin Sheath

Slower neural transmission with more error

Agonist

Chemical that mimics or enhances a neurotransmitter

Antagonist

Chemical that blocks a neurotransmitter

Acetylcholine

Enables muscle actions, habits

Dopamine

Feeling of pleasure

Elaborative Encoding

Making new information memorable by connecting it to existing knowledge

Chunking

Grouping individual items into meaningful units

Memory Palace

Placing information along a mental spatial route to improve recall

Martinez & Kesner — Results

Blocking ACh worsened rat maze memory; increasing ACh improved it

Antonova et al. — Results

Blocking ACh impaired spatial memory and reduced hippocampal activation

Brunet PTSD Study

Propranolol during trauma recall reduced emotional intensity through reconsolidation

Emic Perspective

Understanding behavior from within a culture; culture-specific meaning

Etic Perspective

Using universal categories to compare across cultures

Culture & Schema

Culture shapes what people notice

Action Potential

Electrical impulse that travels down the axon and triggers neurotransmitter release

Refractory Period

Brief time after an action potential when a neuron cannot fire again

Resting Potential

The stable negative charge of a neuron when it is not firing

Pareidolia

The tendency to perceive meaningful patterns (like faces) in random stimuli

Hippocampus

Brain structure involved in forming new memories and spatial navigation

Synapses

Gaps between neurons where neurotransmitters travel

Dendrites

Branch-like structures on a neuron that receive incoming signals

Reuptake

Process where leftover neurotransmitters are reabsorbed into the presynaptic neuron

Lock and Key

Model describing how neurotransmitters fit specific receptors

Axon Terminals

Ends of the axon where neurotransmitters are released

Agonist Example

Morphine: Mimics endorphins and activates opioid receptors

Antagonist Example

Naloxone: Blocks opioid receptors and reverses effects of opioids.

W.E.I.R.D.

Westernized, Educated, Industrialized, Rich, and Democratic.