PSYC-372 Exam 3 Study Guide Chapter 11

Learning

A process that leads to relatively permanent changes in behavior or knowledge due to experience or practice.

Memory

The cognitive ability to encode, store, and retrieve information over time.

Describe the duration and capacity of Working Memory

____ is limited, typically holding about 7±2 items, and can last for seconds to minutes without rehearsal.

Describe the duration and capacity of Short Term Memory

____ Duration: ~20-30 seconds Capacity: 7±2 items, often referred to as Miller's Law.

Describe the duration and capacity of Long Term Memory

____ has a duration that can last from hours to a lifetime and a capacity that is considered to be relatively unlimited.

Name the two types of Long Term Memory and how their different.

Episodic memory involves conscious recall of facts and events, while implicit memory involves skills and conditioned responses.

Name the two types of Declarative Memory and how their different

Divided into episodic memory, which involves personal experiences and specific events, and semantic memory, which pertains to general knowledge and facts.

What are two main types of non-declarative memory?

Consists of procedural memory, which involves skills and actions, and associative memory, which involves memories of relationships between events.

What medical issue did patient H.M. suffer from? How did the surgeons resolve it?

Patient H.M. suffered from severe epilepsy, which was resolved by surgeons performing a bilateral medial temporal lobotomy, removing parts of his hippocampus and surrounding areas.

What are the three main regions that are part of the medial temporal lobes?

The three main regions are the Hippocampus, the Rhinal Cortex, and the Amygdala

What does the Hippocampus do?

The ______ is primarily responsible for the formation of new memories and spatial navigation. It plays a crucial role in consolidating information from short-term to long-term memory.

Describe the findings of the London taxicab studies (Maguire et al., 1997-2009)

The London taxicab studies found that taxi drivers had a larger posterior hippocampus compared to non-drivers, indicating that extensive navigation experience may lead to structural changes in the brain, particularly in areas associated with spatial memory.

What is the Morris Water Maze?

A behavioral experiment used to assess spatial learning and memory in rodents, where they must find a hidden platform in a pool of water.

What is the Radial Arm Maze test?

A behavioral test used to evaluate spatial learning and memory in rodents, where they navigate a maze with multiple arms to find food rewards.

What are place cells?

Neurons in the hippocampus that become active when an animal is in a specific location, playing a crucial role in spatial navigation and memory.

What does the Rhinal Cortex do?

The ____ is involved in memory processing and integration of sensory information, particularly object recognition and spatial memory.

How does the DNMS task work?

The ______ task assesses memory by requiring subjects to remember a sample object after a delay and choose a new object from a pair, demonstrating recognition memory.

What does the Amygdala do?

The _____ is involved in emotion regulation, particularly fear and aggression, and plays a key role in processing emotional memories.

What does the basal ganglia do? What are its subregions? How is basal ganglia function tested?

Important for procedural memories, i.e., sensorimotor skill learning

● Habit learning — Neurons show changes in firing patterns as animals learn and break habits. This can be assessed using a T-maze

Describe the roles of the prefrontal cortex

The ____ is crucial for higher cognitive functions such as decision-making, planning, and social behavior. It is also involved in working memory and regulating emotions.

What is a delayed response task? What does it test?

A _______ is a cognitive task that tests working memory by requiring an individual to remember the location of a stimulus after a delay. It assesses the ability to retain and manipulate information over a short period.

Describe Hebb’s Theory on the Neural Mechanisms of Learning

Hebb's theory shows that our brain learns by reinforcing the connections between neurons that are frequently activated together

What are Long-term potentiation (LTP) and Long-Term Depression (LTD)

They are processes that strengthen or weaken synaptic connections, respectively, contributing to learning and memory.

What are the two main types of glutamatergic receptors?

Ionotropic Glutamate Receptors: These receptors are like "gates" that open when glutamate binds to them, allowing ions (like sodium or calcium)to flow into the neuron. They mediate fast communication between neurons.

Metabotropic Glutamate Receptors: These receptors work through a different mechanism. When glutamate binds to them, it triggers internal processes inside the cell that can change how the neuron behaves. They are involved in slower, longer-lasting changes in neuron activity