Week 4

Question 1

example priming

Answer 1

when something in memory is closely associated with something else

Question 2

brain structures

Answer 2

Different types of memory involve different brain structures

Damage to hippocampus
Poor episodic memory

Damage to frontotemporal para-hippocampal cortex
Poor semantic memory

Damage to both regions
Poor episodic + semantic memory

Question 3

biological causes of amnesia

Answer 3

Surgery
Chronic alcohol abuse
Encephalitis
Brain tumours
Dementia
Closed head injury

Question 4

types of amnesia

Answer 4

Retrograde
Anterograde
Global

Question 5

retrograde amnesia

Answer 5

Poor recall for memories formed before onset of amnesia
Greater for episodic than semantic
temporal (time related) gradient

Question 6

explanations for temporal gradient: consolidation theory

Answer 6

hippocampus leads to long lasting memory formation; consolidated memories stored elsewhere, protecting effects of hippocampus damage

Question 7

explanations for temporal gradient: semanticisation

Answer 7

episodic memories become more like semantic memories over time = protected from effects of brain damage

Question 8

explanations for temporal gradient: reduced learning opportunity

Answer 8

episodic memories depend on a single learning experience, reduced learning opportunity explains amnesia; semantic memories depend on several learning experiences

Question 9

anterograde amnesia

Answer 9

Loss of ability to form new memories after onset of amnesia

Question 10

global amnesia

Answer 10

Moderate retrograde amnesia + severe anterograde amnesia
Results from lesions of structures in medial temporal lobe, specifically the hippocampus

Question 11

patient HM

Answer 11

Most studied amnesiac patient; suffered from severe epilepsy from 10yrs old
27 yrs old: surgery removed entire medial temporal lobe
Moderate retrograde + severe anterograde amnesia

Question 12

Korsakoff’s Syndrome

Answer 12

Also known as diencephalic amnesia

Vitamin B1 deficiency from chronic alcoholism
Damage to mammillary bodies in hypothalamus
Poor ability to remember events both before and after; some new learning ability; slight impairment of STM

Question 13

semantic dementia

Answer 13

Severe problems with semantic memory, but intact episodic memory
- Loss of info about meanings + facts
- Difficulty naming objects, single word comprehension, categorizing objects

Precise symptoms differ
Always involves degeneration of anterior (fronto)temporal lobe; where semantic memories are formed

Question 14

dissociation

Answer 14

Identification of a brain region responsible for a cognitive process

Question 15

single dissociation

Answer 15

Identify that brain damage to one structure disrupts one cognitive process, but not another

Question 16

double dissociation

Answer 16

Identify that damage to one structure disrupts one cognitive process but not another
Identify that brain damage to different structure disrupts cognitive process Y but not X

Question 17

double dissociation example

Answer 17

Amnesia + semantic dementia point to double dissociation in LTM
Amnesia = hippocampus

Poor episodic memory (X)
Intact semantic memory (Y)

Semantic dementia = anterior/frontotemporal lobe
Poor semantic memory (Y)
Intact episodic memory (X)

Question 18

eyewitness testimony

Answer 18

the accuracy of an individual’s memory is sometimes of enormous importance

Question 19

decay

Answer 19

Memory trace fades over time
Less info available for retrieval as time passes

Question 20

interference

Answer 20

Similar info gets in the way of to-be-remembered info
Retroactive: recent info gets in the way of older info recall
Proactive: older info gets in the way of new info recall

Question 21

intrusions

Answer 21

mistakes in which elements not part of original memory trace get mixed up or intrude recall

Question 22

DRM paradigm

Answer 22

Named after Deese, Roediger & McDermott
Recall words semantically associated with list words that aren’t included in the list; leads to memory error
Background knowledge helps to link together the list of words according to a theme, which aids recall

Question 23

misinformation effect

Answer 23

Memories easily distorted by misleading info presented afterwards

Source misattribution
- Memory probe activates memory traces with overlapping info
- Need to decide on source of activated information
- Misattribution occurs when memories from one source resemble those from another

Question 24

Loftus + Palmer (1974)

Answer 24

Participants shown a film of a car accident
“How fast were the cards going when they […] into each other?”
SMASHED = 41mph
HIT = 34mph

One week later: “Did you see any broken glass?”
SMASHED = 34%
HIT = 14%

Question 25

bias

Answer 25

Memory influenced by observer’s prior expectations Conformation bias Age Weapon focus Unconscious transference

Question 26

conformation bias

Answer 26

Tendency to recall info in a way that confirms pre-existing beliefs Schemas can lead us to form specific expectations - Packets of knowledge stored in LTM - Causes us to reconstruct events based on what just have been true

Question 27

Tuckey + Brewer (2003)

Answer 27

Participants shown film of a simulated bank robbery Recalled info relevant to bank robbery schema Less likely to recall info irrelevant to schema

Question 28

face recognition

Answer 28

Eyewitness identification from line ups typically depends on face recognition Often fallible: 1. unconscious transference 2. other race effect 3. own age bias

Question 29

unconscious transference

Answer 29

misidentify a familiar (but innocent) face as being the person responsible

Question 30

other race effect

Answer 30

recognition for same-race faces generally more accurate than other-race faces

Question 31

own age bias

Answer 31

more accurate when culprit is similar age to witness

Question 32

anxiety + violence

Answer 32

Anxiety + stress generally impair memory Causes narrowing of attention on important stimuli Reduces ability to remember peripheral details

Question 33

weapon focus effect

Answer 33

attend to weapon, reducing memory for other info Attend to unexpected stimuli inconsistent with schema of that situation

Question 34

cognitive interview

Answer 34

strategies to aid retrieval 1. Mental reinstatement of the environment 2. Encourage the reporting of every detail 3. Describe the incident in several different orders 4. Reporting the incident from different viewpoints