Biological Bases and Memory

Flashcards about Biological Bases and Memory.

What are the key components of a unitary model of memory?

input, encoding, storage, output, and retrieval processes.

Who was Hermann Ebbinghaus?

the first person to investigate memory scientifically and systematically

What type of stimuli did Hermann Ebbinghaus use in Forgetting Curve experiment?

Nonsense syllables (e.g., juz bul gof).

What was the procedure in Peterson and Peterson's (1959) experiment?

presenting participants with three letters and a three-digit number, followed by a retention interval during which they counted backward by threes.

What is Miller's magic number related to memory span?

7 plus or minus 2 items.

What is semantic memory?

recollection of ideas, concepts, and facts.

What is autobiographical memory?

the memory for one's personal history, combining episodic and semantic memory.

What is Memory?

the recording of the past for later use in the present, including changes in our brains that encode experience and the information stored in our genes.

What are the main focuses at the Biological Level of Explanation?

Biological brain systems, neurochemistry, and genetics.

What are the main focuses at the Individual Level of Explanation?

Individual differences, perception and cogntion, and behaviour.

What are the main focuses at the Social Level of Explanation?

Interpersonal behavior and social cognition.

What are the main focuses at the Cultural Level of Explanation?

Thoughts, actions, and behaviors in different societies and cultural groups.

What are the key concepts and terms in the stage theory of memory?

Sensory memory, short-term memory, and long-term memory.

Who was patient H.M. (Henry Molaison)?

hippocampus removed to control seizures.

Who was patient K.F.?

motorcycle accident, had short term memory impairments

What does the serial position effect include?

primacy and recency effects.

Which brain region was removed from patient H.M.?

The medial temporal lobe, including the hippocampus and perirhinal cortex.

What type of amnesia results from Medial temporal lobe damage?

Dense anterograde amnesia (LTM) with intact STM.

What was George Sperling's sensory memory experiment?

The experiment presented 12 letters flashed on a screen for 50 milliseconds, followed by a tone indicating which row to recall.

What is the typical duration of sensory memory?

0.3 to 3 seconds.

How long does Short-term memory last?

20 seconds

How long does Long-term memory last?

decades

How long does Sensory Memory last?

300-3000 ms

What is the sequence of the stage theory of memory?

Sensory memory → Short-term memory → Long-term memory.

Who argued that the previous model of short-term memory (STM) is far too simple?

Baddeley and Hitch

What are the components of Baddeley and Hitch's working memory model?

Phonological loop, visuospatial sketchpad, central executive, and episodic buffer.

What does working memory see STM as?

mental workbench rather than a storage platform.

What is Chunking?

Grouping individual items into larger, meaningful units to bypass the limited capacity of working memory.

Based on the notes, what is required for long-term memory?

More than maintenance rehearsal is required

What is the difference between maintenance rehearsal and elaborative encoding?

______ is simply repeating information, whereas _____ involves relating new information to existing knowledge in long-term memory.

How does the depth of processing affect memory?

Shallow processing focuses on surface characteristics, while deep processing involves semantic structure and meaning.

What is a schema?

a mental framework or organized pattern of thought about some aspect of the world.

What is anterograde amnesia?

the inability to form new long-term memories after the onset of amnesia.

What is retrograde amnesia?

the loss of memory for events that occurred before the onset of amnesia.

What is memory consolidation?

the strengthening of a memory trace over time, making it more resistant to damage.

How does visual imagery improve memory?

mental images to enhance memory.

What is the method of loci?

associating items to be remembered with specific, well-known places.

What is Encoding-retrieval context?

memory is best when the conditions at encoding match the conditions at retrieval.

What is Episodic Memory?

memory for specific events or experiences.

What memory types are under the Implicit Memory umbrella?

skill learning, priming, habit formation, and conditioning.

What is explicit memory also known as?

also declarative memory.

What is Trace Decay?

suggesting that memories weaken over time due to changes in the biology of the memory trace.

What is Retroactive Interference?

Retroactive interference occurs when new learning interferes with old learning.

What is Proactive Interference?

old learning interferes with new learning.

What causes Absentmindedness/encoding failure?

the result of shallow encoding due to a failure to pay attention.

What are Avoidance and Psychophysiological symptoms of PTSD?

Emotional detachment and exaggerated startle.

What is Misattribution in memory?

assigning a memory to the wrong source

What is suggestibility?

new info alters memory by incorporating misleading information.

How do neurons communicate?

Neurons communicate with each other across special junctions called synapses.

What happens when an action potential arrives at an axon terminal?

When an action potential arrives at an axon terminal, a neurotransmitter is released into the synaptic cleft.

What is the difference between agonists and antagonists in drug action?

____ bind to a receptor and trigger a response, while ____ block or suppress agonist-mediated responses.

What are examples of neurotransmitters in the brain?

Acetylcholine, dopamine, and serotonin.

What are the main symptoms of Parkinson's disease?

Tremor, muscular rigidity, slowness of movement (bradykinesia), and postural instability.

What are the main symptoms of Schizophrenia?

Positive symptoms (delusions, hallucinations, disorganized thinking), negative symptoms (blunted affect, poverty of speech), and cognitive symptoms (poor working memory)

What effect do dopamine antagonists have?

antischizophrenic effects and produce Parkinsonian symptoms

What does Coffee act as?

An adenosine antagonist.

What functions are connected to Dopamine?

Positive reinforcement and reward.

How does intracranial self-stimulation (ICSS) affects the brain?

Intraactivates dopaminergic pathways including the nucleus accumbens and VTA.

What are the key structures in the reward system?

Nucleus accumbens and ventral tegmental area (VTA).

What is a Reflex?

a simple automatic response to a stimulus.

What happens in a Monosynaptic stretch reflex?

sensory neuron directly synapsing with a motor neuron.

What happens in a Polysynaptic reflex?

involves one or more interneurons between the sensory and motor neurons.

What is an increase in synaptic strength mediated by?

neurotransmitter release, postsynaptic response, and synaptic connections between neurons.

How does experience relates to the brain?

changes the structure of the brain, including synaptic connectivity.

What is the Circadian Rhythm?

physical, mental, and behavioral change that follows a roughly 24-hour cycle, primarily influenced by light.

What controls the body clock by activating light?

The suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN) of the hypothalamus.

Which hormone signals 'biological night'?

Melatonin

What are the implications for phase delay and phase advance?

Shift work and jet lag.

What are the Evolutionary explanations of sleep?

Inactivity theory and energy conservation theory.

Why is Sleep important for Recovery/Repair?

Muscle growth, tissue repair, and protein synthesis.

What function has the Glymphatic system in the brain?

clearing waste products from the brain during sleep.

What are the Standard measures used to meausure sleep?

Electroencephalogram (EEG), electrooculogram (EOG), and electromyogram (EMG).

How do EEGs change as you sleep?

become more synchronized and of higher amplitude as the sleeper progresses from stage 1 to stage 4 sleep.

Which sleep stage is highly correlated to dreaming?

REM.

Which type of memory is enhanced by early (SWS-rich) sleep?

Declarative memory

Which type of memory is enhanced by late (REM-rich) sleep?

Procedural memory

What is the Creative Sweet-Spot and how does it relates to NREM - N1sleep stage?

The wake-sleep transition during sleep stage 1 (NREM - N1) is associated with involuntary spontaneous dream-like experiences that incorporate recent wake experience (hypnagogia).

What are Sharp-Wave Ripples?

events that look a certain way in the local EEG and occur during slow-wave sleep.

What processes happens to hippocampal cells during slow wave sleep?

During slow wave sleep, hippocampal cells replay previous experiences as sequences of cell firing during sharp-wave ripple (SWR) events.