LMC - S1 Intro

What is the definition of memory?

The mechanism whereby past experiences influence present behaviour.

What do memory researchers typically distinguish between?

Memory stores that hold information for different periods, and memory processes that operate on this stored information.

What is the definition of learning?

The processes by which experience acts on neural circuitry to generate memories.

What does the activity with random shapes versus meaningful images demonstrate?

Memory is enhanced by meaningful, familiar, or pattern-based encoding. Meaningful information is easier to recall than abstract shapes.

What were the four meaningful images shown in the activity?

Four elephants smelling an orange, A witch's broom, A cowboy frying an egg, Four cowboys peeing into one bucket.

Who is Clive Wearing?

A British musician and musicologist with one of the most severe cases of amnesia due to herpes simplex encephalitis causing extensive hippocampal damage.

What caused Clive Wearing's amnesia?

Herpes simplex encephalitis (viral brain infection) that led to extensive damage to his hippocampus.

What is anterograde amnesia?

Inability to form new memories after the onset of a condition. Clive Wearing's memory typically lasts only about 7 to 30 seconds.

What is retrograde amnesia?

Loss of memories from before the illness. Clive Wearing lost many memories though some related to music and his wife remain intact.

What memory systems remained intact in Clive Wearing?

Musical memory and skills (procedural memory), immediate memory (could repeat a phone number), emotional connection to his wife.

What does Clive Wearing's case demonstrate about memory?

Memory is not a single simple system; it reveals the distinction between different types of memory (e.g., procedural vs. declarative) and the role of the hippocampus.

What did studies with amnesic patients reveal?

Amnesic patients are capable of learning (shown by improved performance) even though they don't remember the learning experience, suggesting preserved immediate memory and ability to learn motor skills.

Who proposed the Multi-Store Model and in what year?

Atkinson and Shiffrin, 1968

What are the three stores in the Multi-Store Model?

Sensory Memory, Short Term Memory, Long Term Memory

What processes link the stores in the Multi-Store Model?

Attention (sensory to STM), Rehearsal (maintains in STM and transfers to LTM), Retrieval (LTM to STM)

What is Sensory Memory?

A store that receives information from sensory systems and very briefly holds a large amount of "pre-categorical" (not yet interpreted) information.

Is Sensory Memory under cognitive control?

No, it is not under cognitive control; information is raw and unprocessed.

What happens to most information in Sensory Memory?

It is quickly lost (forgotten). If given focused attention, it will be selected for short-term memory storage.

What are the types of Sensory Memory?

Iconic memory (vision), Echoic memory (hearing), Haptic memory (touch/somatosensory), Gustatory memory (taste), Olfactory memory (smell)

What is Iconic Memory?

The brief photographic or image-like memory of visual information. Holds visual stimuli for a fraction of a second to a couple of seconds.

What is the function of Iconic Memory?

Allows us to perceive a continuous visual scene, allowing a movie to be perceived as continuous rather than static frames with gaps.

What is Echoic Memory?

The brief memory trace of auditory information. Preserves sounds and spoken language for about 1-5 seconds after the sound is heard.

What is the function of Echoic Memory?

Enables processing of speech and complex sounds by giving a short window to parse phonemes and syllables; supports auditory scene analysis.

What is Haptic Memory?

The brief memory of tactile information acquired through touch. Stores sensory information from skin and proprioceptive receptors for a very short duration.

What is the function of Haptic Memory?

Enables quick assessment of object properties; supports motor planning and coordination; contributes to texture recognition.

What is Gustatory Memory?

The brief memory of taste sensations encountered through the tongue; rapid retention of taste information for a short moment.

What is the function of Gustatory Memory?

Allows rapid evaluation of taste quality to guide feeding decisions and safety; supports immediate flavor discrimination.

What is Olfactory Memory?

The brief memory of olfactory (smell) information detected by the nose; can be surprisingly vivid and influence perception and emotion.

What is the function of Olfactory Memory?

Enables quick recognition of familiar odors; plays strong role in emotional processing due to direct connections to limbic structures.

How can we study memory through observing the brain?

By studying patients with brain damage (lesion studies) and using neuroimaging techniques to observe brain structure and activity.

What is CT (Computerised Tomography)?

An X-ray based technique that allows observation of brain structure in living patients; used clinically.

What is MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging)?

A brain imaging method that relies on detecting changes induced by a powerful magnetic field; provides high-resolution images of brain anatomy; has largely replaced CT for research.

What is TMS (Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation)?

A non-invasive neuromodulation technique used to study and treat neurological and psychiatric conditions; uses magnetic pulses to stimulate or disrupt brain activity.

What is tDCS (Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation)?

A non-invasive brain stimulation technique that modulates neuronal activity using a low electrical current.

What is EEG (Electro-encephalography)?

A technique involving electrodes on the scalp to detect and record electrical impulses generated by neurons; signals are amplified and displayed as brain waves.

What is PET (Positron Emission Tomography)?

A sophisticated imaging technique used to visualize metabolic processes in the body; shows which brain areas are active during tasks.

How do we study memory through patients with brain damage?

Patients who suffer brain damage often have memory problems; the nature of the problem is often associated with the cause and anatomical location of the damage.

What is the main reading for Lecture 1?

Baddeley Chapters 1 and 2