Psychology: Memory and Biopsychology Key Terms

Vocabulary flashcards covering key terms for Memory and Biopsychology, including memory stores, the working memory model, nervous systems, brain localization, and biological rhythms.

Coding

The format in which information is stored in the various memory stores

Capacity

The amount of information that can be held in a memory store

Duration

The length of time information can be held in our memory

Short term memory (STM)

A limited capacity memory store. Coding is acoustic (sounds), capacity is $5-9$ items and duration is $18-30\,seconds$.

Long term memory (LTM)

A permanent memory store. Coding is semantic (meaning), has unlimited capacity and unlimited duration.

Multi-store model of memory

A representation of how memory works in terms of three stores (sensory register, short term memory and long term memory). It describes how information is transferred from one store to another.

Sensory register

The memory stores for each five sense. The coding is visual and acoustic, has unlimited capacity but very short duration (half a second)

Episodic memory

A long term memory store for personal events that have to be consciously recalled with effort.

Semantic memory

A long term memory store for knowledge of the world that have to be consciously recalled with effort.

Procedural memory

A long term memory store for knowledge of how to do things that do not require conscious efforts for recall.

Working memory model (WMM)

A representation of short term memory suggesting it has different systems and units coordinated by a central decision making system.

Central executive

The component of the WMM that co-ordinates information to three sub systems in memory

Phonological loop

The component of the WMM that processes sound information. It's divided into articulatory process and phonological store.

Visuo-spatial sketchpad

The component of the WMM that processes visual and spatial information in a mental space called the inner eye

Episodic buffer

The component of the WMM that brings together material from other subsystems into a single memory rather than single strands. It bridges the WMM and the LTM.

Interference

Forgetting because one memory blocks another causing both memories to be distorted or forgotten

Proactive interference

Forgetting occurs when older memories disrupt the recall of new memories. More likely if the memories are similar.

Retroactive interference

Forgetting occurs when newer memories disrupt the recall of older memories. More likely if the memories are similar.

Retrieval failure

A form of forgetting which occurs when we don't have access to the state and context cues to access memories.

Cue

A trigger of information that allows access to memories. The cues are encoded during the learning of memories.

Eyewitness testimony (EWT)

The ability of people to remember details of an event e.g. crime scene. This is affected by misleading information, leading questions and anxiety.

Misleading information

Incorrect information given to the eyewitness usually after the event.

Leading questions

A question which suggests a certain answer because of how it's phrased.

Post-event discussion

Occurs wen there is more than one eyewitness to an event who then may discuss information.

Anxiety

A state of emotional and physical arousal. E.g. increased heart rate etc.

Cognitive interview

A method of interviewing eyewitnesses to help retrieve more accurate memories.

Nervous system

Consists of the CNS & PNS

Central nervous system (CNS)

Consists of the brain and spinal cord

Peripheral nervous system (PNS)

Sends information to the CNS and from CNS to muscles/glands in the body

Somatic nervous system (SNS)

Transmits info from receptor cells to CNS and from CNS to muscles to act

Autonomic nervous system (ANS)

Transmits info to and from organs, These are automatic and involuntary e.g. breathing and blinking.

Endocrine system

Body function that instructs glands to release hormones into the blood.

Gland

An organ that synthesises substances such as hormoens.

Hormones

Chemical substances that circulate the body and target organs.

Fight/flight response

The physiological arousal as a result of a stressor.

Adrenaline

A hormone produced by the adrenal gland to activate the fight/flight

Neuron

Nerve cells that process and transmit messages through electrical signals

Sensory neuron

Carry info from PNS to CNS - they have long dendrites and short axons

Motor neuron

Connect the CNS to effectors e.g. muscles, glands etc

Relay neuron

Connect the sensory neurons to motor neurons and other relay neurons

Synaptic transmission

The process of neurons communicating with each other by sending chemicals across the synaptic gap

Neurotransmitter

Brain chemicals that relay signals from one neuron to the next

Excitation

The positive charge which increases the likelihood of the neuron firing

Inhibition

The negative charge which decreases the likelihood of the neuron firing

Localisation of function

The theory that different brain areas are responsible for different behaviours, processes or activities

Motor area

A region in the frontal lobe involved with movement

Somatosensory area

An area of the parietal lobe that processes sensory information from the senses e.g. touch etc.

Visual area

A part of the occipital lobe that processes visual info.

Auditory area

A part of the temporal lobe concerned with speech info.

Broca's area

Area of the left frontal lobe responsible for speech.

Wernicke's area

Area of the temporal lobe responsible for language.

Plasticity

The brains tendency to change and adapt from experience

Functional recovery

A form of plasticity. This is the brains ability to redistribute or transfer functions from a damaged part of the brain.

Hemispheric lateralisation

Two halves of the brain are functionally different and mental processes are controlled by one hemisphere (side)

Split-brain research

Studies involving epileptic patients to research lateralisation.

Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI)

a method used to measure brain activity while a person is performing a task that uses MRI technology (detecting radiowaves from magnetic fields). This allows researchers to detect which regions of the brain are active during tasks.

Electroencephalogram (EEG)

A record of small electrical impulses produced by the brains activity. EEG can help diagnose conditions of the brain.

Event-related potentials (ERP)

The brains electrophysiological response to a specific event can be isolated through statistical analysis of EEG data.

Post-mortem

The brain is studied after death to find any abnormalities.

Biological rhythms

Changes in the body that conform to time patterns.

Circadian rhythms

A biological rhythm that occurs every $24\,hours$

Infradian rhythm

A biological rhythm -less than one cycle in $24\,hours$.

Ultradian rhythm

A biological rhythm with $1+$ cycle in $24\,hours$ e.g. sleep.

Endogenous pacemakers

Internal body clocks regulating biological rhythms e.g. SCN

Exogenous pacemakers

External cues that affect biological rhythms e.g. sleep/wake

Sleep/wake cycle

A daily cycle of biological activity based on $24\,hour$ period