Week 11:Ch. 5 Representation of Knowledge • Ch. 6 Human Memory: Encoding and Storage

What is egocentric spatial representation?

Representing space relative to your own body or position (e.g., “The cup is to my right”).

Which brain region is mainly involved in egocentric spatial representation?

The parietal lobe.

What is allocentric spatial representation?

Representing space relative to the world or environment, independent of your position (e.g., “The library is north of the cafeteria”).

Which brain region is mainly involved in allocentric spatial representation?

The hippocampus.

Key difference between egocentric and allocentric representation?

Egocentric = self-centered, perspective changes with your movement; Allocentric = world-centered, perspective stays the same no matter where you are.

Which of the following is NOT correct?(     ) 1. Mental rotation time exponentially increases as the  angular disparity increases. 2. It has been shown that brain regions involved in   visual perception activated during visual imagery. 3. Cognitive maps include route maps and survey maps 4. The hippocampus plays an important role in  representing egocentric spatial information.

4.

What is conceptual knowledge?

Knowledge organized into categories that helps us interpret, encode, and remember experiences.

What is a semantic network?

A hierarchical representation of conceptual knowledge where nodes are categories and isa links connect subcategories to supersets.

What does an “isa link” represent in a semantic network?

It shows that one category is a member of a higher-level category (e.g., Canaries isa Birds).

In a hierarchical semantic network, why are some facts verified faster than others?

Because retrieval is faster when the fact is closer to the node; more distant facts take longer, supporting hierarchical organization.

What is a schema?

A representation of a category using slots (attributes) and values (typical instances), including supersets (isa links) and parts.

Give an example of a schema for a House

Slots: Rooms, Windows, Ceilings; Values: Living room, Glass window, Sloped ceiling; Isa: House isa Building; Parts: Rooms have their own sub-schema.

How do schemas help organize knowledge?

They allow reasoning about typical features, category membership, and relationships between parts and wholes efficiently.

What is retrieval failure?

When a fact is stored in memory but cannot be accessed at the moment.

Example of retrieval failure?

You learned a song last week but can’t remember the lyrics during a test.

What is lack of knowledge?

When a fact is not stored in memory at all because you never learned it.

Example of lack of knowledge?

You never knew that canaries can sing, so you cannot verify that statement from memory.

How can you sometimes deal with lack of knowledge?

By making inferences from related knowledge (e.g., knowing that birds can sing → guessing canaries might sing).

What is an event concept?

A mental representation of a real-life event that helps us predict, interpret, and reason about it.

What is a script (event schema)?

A mental framework representing the typical sequence of actions in a familiar event.

Give an example of a script for going to the movies.

1) Go to theater → 2) Buy ticket → 3) Buy refreshments → 4) Watch movie → 5) Return home.

Why are scripts useful?

They allow us to predict, fill in missing steps, and understand events even if some details are not observed.

Are scripts exact sequences of events?

No — they are prototypical templates, so actual events may vary.

What is memory?

The ability to store and retrieve information over time.

What are the three stages of memory?

Encoding, Storage, Retrieval

What is encoding?

Transforming perceptions into a neural code that the brain can use.

What is storage?

Maintaining encoded information over time, often strengthened through rehearsal.

What is retrieval?

Accessing stored information when needed.

Name the three memory stores in the Atkinson & Shiffrin model

Sensory store → Short-term memory → Long-term memory

What is iconic memory?

visual sensory memory

What is echoic memory?

auditory sensory memory

What is memory span?

The number of elements one can immediately recall from short-term memory.

How is information transferred from short-term to long-term memory?

Through rehearsal and attention; repeated or attended information is more likely to be stored in long-term memory.