Chapter 12 BB

Learning

a relatively persistent change in behavior due to experience

operant conditioning

process by which humans and animals learn to behave in such a way as to obtain rewards and avoid punishments

classical conditioning

a type of unconscious or automatic learning. creates a conditioned response through associations between an unconditioned stimulus and a neutral stimulus

law of effect

relationship between behavior and consequences

responses followed by satisfaction will happen again, those that aren't followed by satisfaction become less likely

reinforcers

events increasing the likelihood of a recurring response

hebbian synapse theory of learning

If the axon of neuron A repeatedly or persistently excites neuron B, growth processes / metabolic changes occur in one or both cells.

synapse that increases its effectiveness because the presynaptic neuron and the postsynaptic neuron are active simultaneously = a Hebbian synapse

It makes sense that these are involved in associative learning
“Nuerons that fire together wire together"

habituation

A decrease in response to a stimulus that is presented repeatedly and accompanied by no change in other stimuli

sensitization

An increase in response to stimuli after an aversive or highly arousing event

Long term potential

shows three properties:
Specificity – only active synapses are strengthened
Cooperativity – two or more axons simultaneously stimulating = stronger LTP
Associativity – pairing a weak stimulus with
a strong stimulus enhances later response to weak input

place cells

cells that become activated when in certain locations

grid cells

fire as the animal crosses compartments of an imagined coordinate system grid over a spatial area to allow it to determine the cumulative distance traveled

sensory memory

stored for a few seconds at most. They come from the five senses: hearing, vision, touch, smell, and taste. They are stored only for as long as the sense is being stimulated. They are then reprocessed and associated with a memory that may store in your short-term memory

Short term memory

limited capacity (7+/-2?) and duration (about 20 seconds?
Input/storage of new ideas
Once something has left STM, it is gone.
Rehearsal for short term recall

Long term memory

has unlimited capacity and duration.
LTM can be stimulated with a hint or a clue.
Memory must be consolidated for it to enter LTM.

declarative memory

Explicit memory
Form of autobiographical memory known as episodic memory
Memory for word meanings and concept-based knowledge known as semantic memory

memory engram

memory traces in the brain

nondeclarative memory

Implicit memory
Procedural memory-Motor and cognitive memory (skills)
Conditioning
Nonassocative working memory- Habituation and sensitization

delayed matching to sample task

Monkeys are presented with a stimulus and then after a delta they are asked to choose the item out of two stimuli
If they don’t successfully perform the task it is assumed they have a memory deficit
Prefrontal cortex activity

delayed nonmatching to sample task

Must reach for the unfamiliar object
Those with lesions of the hippocampus and amygdala exhibit learning deficits

Hippocampus

has a major role in learning and memory

morris water maze

Rat swims in a translucent swimming pool and learns where a platform is located
Water is then made murky so he must rely on spatial memory

eye blinks reflex conditioning task

Rabbits learn to blink on presentation of the conditioned stimulus to avoid the puff of air
Interpositus nucleus of the cerebellum is responsible for this conditioning

cortical-hippocampus system

Underlies declarative memory
As we forn memories a considerable amount of communication takes place among the hippocampus, the parahippocapal region, and the neocortex

anterograde amnesia

refers to an impaired capacity for new learning
damage to the hippocampus

retrograde amnesia

loss of info that was acquired before the onset of amnesia