Learning and Memory

A set of flashcards based on the key concepts from the Learning and Memory lecture notes.

What is Learning?

Learning is the acquisition of information that alters future behavior.

What is Memory?

Memory is the subsequent retention of information learned.

Extinction

reducing a learned response by stop pairing the stimulus with a reward or punishment.

Blocking effect

when prior training to one cue blocks later learning of a second cue when both are paired together.

Prediction Error

difference between what was predicted and what actually occurred

What are the components of classical conditioning?

Unconditioned stimulus (US), unconditioned response (UR), conditioned stimulus (CS), and conditioned response (CR).

the Rescorla-Wagner Rule of Learning

changes in CS-US associations are driven by the discrepancy between expected and actual outcomes.

role of the hippocampus in memory

the formation and retrieval of episodic memories and spatial navigation

What is the difference between explicit and implicit memory?

Explicit memory is conscious recollection of information, while implicit memory is unconscious and often involves skills.

synaptic consolidation

a rapid process that transforms new memories into a more permanent state at the synapses

long-term potentiation (LTP)

a persistent enhancement of postsynaptic response, strengthening synaptic connections essential for learning.

What is the Case of H.M. known for?

H.M. is known for having severe anterograde amnesia after a bilateral medial temporal lobectomy, impairing his ability to form new memories.

What are the types of memory?

Types of memory include sensory memory, short-term memory, long-term memory, explicit memory, implicit memory, procedural memory, episodic memory, and semantic memory.

What did Maguire's 1998 study reveal about the hippocampus?

It showed that the hippocampus is significantly activated during spatial navigation tasks.