Exam 2 Words to Know Psyc 3300

What is implicit memory?

Remembering without awareness; unconscious remembering.

What are the three types of implicit memory?

Procedural memory, conditioning, and priming.

What is procedural memory?

"Muscle memory" or skills that become second nature.

What is conditioning?

Learning through association.

What is priming?

Past experiences alter responses to present events.

What is explicit memory?

Conscious recollection of facts and events.

What are the two types of explicit memory?

Episodic memory and semantic memory.

What is episodic memory?

Memory for personal experiences and events.

What is an example of episodic memory?

Remembering your 8th birthday.

What is semantic memory?

Memory for facts, concepts, words, and numbers.

What is an example of semantic memory?

Knowing that 2 + 2 = 4.

Who was Franz Josef Gall?

Believed specific memories are stored in specific brain areas.

Who was Karl Lashley?

Searched for the engram and studied memory localization.

What is equipotentiality?

The idea that all parts of the cerebral cortex are equal and interchangeable.

Was equipotentiality correct?

It was more wrong than right.

What is mass action?

Memory impairment depends more on the amount of brain tissue destroyed than on the location of damage.

How does mass action relate to modern memory theory?

It supports the idea that memories are distributed across interconnected neural networks.

Who was Wilder Penfield?

Found that stimulation of the temporal lobe could evoke vivid memories.

What did Penfield discover about memory recall?

Brain stimulation could trigger vivid, detailed memories.

What is vivid recall?

Evoked memories are more detailed than normal recollections.

What is perfect repeatability?

Stimulating the same brain area repeatedly evokes the same memory.

Who was H.M.?

A patient who had his hippocampus removed to treat epilepsy.

What happened to H.M. after his surgery?

He could no longer form new memories and lost memories from about two years before surgery.

What type of amnesia did H.M. primarily have?

Anterograde amnesia.

Did H.M. also have retrograde amnesia?

Yes, to a lesser extent.

What abilities were preserved in H.M.?

Some working memory and skill learning.

What is retrograde amnesia?

Inability to remember events that occurred before brain damage.

What is anterograde amnesia?

Inability to form or remember new memories after brain damage.

What is the role of the amygdala in memory?

It mediates the learning and expression of emotional responses.

How did H.M. demonstrate emotional memory?

He forgot his uncle died but still felt sadness when thinking about him.

What is fear conditioning?

A learned fear response created by pairing a neutral stimulus with an aversive event.

How was fear conditioning demonstrated in rats?

Music was paired with shocks until the music alone produced fear.

What are the components of the classical model of working memory?

Sensory input, working memory, central executive, and long-term memory.

What is the phonological loop?

The part of working memory that handles speech and sound information.

What is the visuospatial sketchpad?

The part of working memory that processes visual and spatial information.

What is the central executive?

The "boss" system that directs attention and rehearsal.

What is the multicomponent model of working memory?

A working memory model that adds the episodic buffer.

What is the episodic buffer?

A system that integrates information from the phonological loop, visuospatial sketchpad, and long-term memory.

What is memory consolidation?

The process by which temporary memories become stable long-term memories.

How does stress affect memory consolidation?

High levels of stress can impair consolidation and recall.

How does sleep affect memory consolidation?

Sleep strengthens memory consolidation.

How might sleep deprivation affect PTSD?

It may reduce consolidation of traumatic memories.

What does the memory consolidation model propose?

New memories are temporarily stored in the hippocampus before moving to the neocortex.

What is the role of the hippocampus in memory consolidation?

It temporarily stores new memories for about two years.

What is the role of the neocortex in memory consolidation?

It stores memories after consolidation.

Why could H.M. not remember the two years before surgery?

Those memories had not yet been fully consolidated.

What is Multiple Trace Theory?

Each retrieval of a memory creates a new trace in the hippocampus.

What does Multiple Trace Theory suggest happens when memories are repeatedly recalled?

The neuronal connections become stronger.

Who was K.C.?

A patient who suffered a motorcycle accident resulting in memory impairment.

How did K.C.'s memory differ from H.M.'s?

K.C.'s episodic memory was severely impaired while semantic memory remained largely intact.

How did H.M. and K.C. influence memory theories?

Their memory loss patterns supported Multiple Trace Theory.

What is long-term potentiation (LTP)?

A long-lasting strengthening of synaptic connections associated with learning and memory.

What causes LTP?

High-frequency stimulation of a synapse.

What effect does LTP have on synapses?

It increases synaptic efficiency.

What receptors are involved in LTP?

NMDA receptors and AMPA receptors.

What happens to AMPA receptors during LTP?

More AMPA receptors are inserted into the membrane.

What is the role of attention in cognition?

Attention modulates the brain's processing of information.

How is attention like a filter?

It helps process relevant information while ignoring distractions.

What neurotransmitter is strongly involved in attention, memory, and learning?

Acetylcholine (ACh).

What happens when cholinergic neurons are stimulated?

Cortical activation increases.

What is the cholinergic system?

A neural system that uses acetylcholine and contributes to attention.

How was the cholinergic system discovered?

Through observational and lesion studies in rats.

What is the role of the noradrenergic system?

It alerts the brain to incoming information and helps generate responses.

What neurotransmitter does the serotonergic system use?

Serotonin.

What is the serotonergic system involved in?

Wakefulness and REM sleep.

What executive function is measured by the Stroop Test?

Task-setting and goal maintenance.

What executive function is measured by the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test?

Shifting and modifying strategies.

What executive function is measured by the Tower of London/Hanoi?

Sequencing and planning.

What are the major executive functions?

Initiating behavior, task-setting and goal maintenance, shifting strategies, sequencing, judgment and decision making, rules and inferences, and abstract thinking.

What is task-setting and goal maintenance?

The ability to establish goals and maintain behavior toward them.

What is shifting and modifying strategies?

The ability to adapt behavior when rules or situations change.

What is sequencing?

Organizing actions or thoughts into the correct order.

What is judgment and decision making?

Evaluating choices and selecting appropriate actions.

What is abstract thinking?

The ability to understand concepts that are not concrete.

What frontal lobe region is involved in executive functioning?

Medial prefrontal cortex.

What frontal lobe region is heavily involved in planning and working memory?

Dorsolateral prefrontal cortex.

What frontal lobe region is involved in inhibitory control and executive functioning?

Inferior frontal cortex.