Lecture 4 (Pt. 1) of Senior Seminar

Learning and Memory

What is the definition of learning?

The acquisition of new knowledge or skills.

What is the definition of memory?

The retention of learned information.

What term describes the physical representation or trace of a memory in the brain?

Engram.

Which category of memory involves information that an individual can explicitly state?

Declarative Memory.

Declarative memory is categorized as _________ memory because it involves conscious recollection.

Explicit.

What are the two primary types of declarative memory?

Semantic and episodic (autobiographical) memory.

Which type of declarative memory is specifically responsible for storing facts?

Semantic memory.

Which type of declarative memory stores personal events and autobiographical information?

Episodic memory.

Nondeclarative memory is also known as _____ memory.

Implicit.

Does nondeclarative memory require conscious recollection?

No.

Which form of nondeclarative memory involves skills, habits, and behaviors?

Procedural memory.

Which brain structure is associated with procedural memory, skills, and habits?

Striatum.

In nondeclarative memory, which brain structure is associated with skeletal musculature responses during classical conditioning?

Cerebellum.

Which brain structure mediates emotional responses within nondeclarative memory?

Amygdala.

How is non-associative learning defined?

A change in behavioral response that occurs over time in response to a single type of stimulus.

What is a form of non-associative learning where one learns to ignore a stimulus that lacks meaning?

Habituation.

What is a form of non-associative learning that intensifies the response to stimuli?

Sensitization.

What is learning where behavior is altered by the formation of associations between events?

Associative learning.

In classical conditioning, what is an Unconditioned Stimulus (US)?

A stimulus that requires no training to elicit a reflexive response.

In classical conditioning, what is a Conditioned Stimulus (CS)?

A neutral stimulus that, after being paired with a US, eventually elicits a response on its own.

In classical conditioning, what is a Conditioned Response (CR)?

The response elicited by a Conditioned Stimulus (CS) after it has been paired with an Unconditioned Stimulus (US).

In Pavlov’s dog experiment, what was the Unconditioned Stimulus (US)?

Food.

In Pavlov's dog experiment, what was the Unconditioned Response (UR)?

Salivation.

In Pavlov's dog experiment, which stimulus served as the Neutral Stimulus (NS) that became the Conditioned Stimulus (CS)?

Whistle (or tone).

What is the definition of extinction in classical conditioning?

The gradual elimination of a learned response that occurs when the Unconditioned Stimulus (US) is no longer present.

True or False: Extinction of a response means the animal has forgotten the original association.

False.

What is the return of a conditioned response (CR) after a period of time following extinction when the CS is presented alone?

Spontaneous recovery.

In the classical conditioning model of drug addiction, what serves as the Conditioned Stimulus (CS)?

Environmental cues such as location, syringe, or time of day.

In the classical conditioning model of drug addiction, what serves as the Unconditioned Stimulus (US)?

The drug itself.

What is the Conditioned Response (CR) in drug addiction according to Pavlovian principles?

Physiological preparation for the drug, such as increased heart rate and blood pressure.

Why might a drug addict overdose on a dose they have used before if they take it in an unfamiliar context?

The body lacks the compensatory Conditioned Response (CR) normally triggered by familiar environmental cues.

What is Instrumental (Operant) Conditioning?

Learning to associate a voluntary response with a specific consequence.

What is considered a key internal factor required for learning in instrumental conditioning?

Motivation.

How does reinforcement affect the probability of a response occurring again?

It increases the likelihood.

How does punishment affect the probability of a response occurring again?

It decreases the likelihood.

In operant conditioning, what does the term 'Positive' signify?

The addition of a stimulus to change behavior.

In operant conditioning, what does the term 'Negative' signify?

The removal of a stimulus to change behavior.

What is Positive Reinforcement?

Giving/adding a stimulus to increase the likelihood of a behavior.

What is Negative Reinforcement?

Removing a stimulus to increase the likelihood of a behavior.

What is Positive Punishment?

Giving/adding a stimulus to decrease the likelihood of a behavior.

What is Negative Punishment?

Removing a stimulus to decrease the likelihood of a behavior.

What is drug tolerance?

Decreased sensitivity to a drug that results from continued use.

What is drug habituation?

Psychological dependence on a drug.

What is drug withdrawal?

The appearance of physical or psychological symptoms when drug use is discontinued.

What is relapse in behavioral psychology?

The reinstatement of a previously extinguished response.

Which brain structure is responsible for spatial memory, such as navigating from point A to point B?

Hippocampus.

What is the typical duration of short-term memory storage?

Several hours.

How long does working memory typically last?

Seconds.

What is the “magic number” representing the capacity of working memory for digit span tasks?

7±2.

What cognitive process is required to maintain information in working memory?

Rehearsal.

What is memory consolidation?

The process by which sensory information is transitioned from working or short-term memory into long-term memory.

Which neuropsychological test is used as an example of working memory function?

Wisconsin Card Sorting Test.

A deficit in working memory would result in difficulty with which aspect of the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test?

Switching between rules.

Which type of memory is described as 'vulnerable to disruption'?

Declarative memory (specifically in its temporary stages).

In Pavlov's dog experiment, salivation occurring due to the whistle after conditioning is known as the _____.

Conditioned Response (CR).

Which form of nondeclarative memory is characterized as being implicit and impossible to articulate?

Classical Conditioning.

In the Skinner Box example, the animal learns to associate pressing a bar with receiving food; this is an example of _____ conditioning.

Instrumental (or operant).

What is the term for the progressive increase in sensitivity to a drug over time?

Sensitization.

What term describes the strong impulse or urge to take a drug?

Craving.

Which specific type of declarative memory allows you to recall where you were born?

Episodic (Autobiographical) memory.

Which stage of memory has a very limited capacity and must be highly flexible?

Working memory.