Psychology Chapter on Memory

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Questions and Answers

What is the estimated capacity of short-term memory, often referred to as the 'magic number'?

7 +/- 2 items (correct)

12 +/- 2 items

5 +/- 2 items

10 +/- 2 items

What is the main reason for the limited duration of information in short-term memory?

Inherent limitations of neuronal storage

Interference from new information (correct)

Natural decay over time (correct)

Distractions from the environment

Which type of interference occurs when new information disrupts the retention of previously learned information?

Contextual interference

Associative interference

Proactive interference

Retroactive interference (correct)

What technique involves organizing information into meaningful groupings to enhance memory retention?

Chunking Signup and view all the answers

How long can auditory information, referred to as the echoic store, typically be retained?

5-10 seconds Signup and view all the answers

Which form of rehearsal involves repeating information in its original form to extend retention in short-term memory?

Maintenance rehearsal Signup and view all the answers

What model of memory suggests that deeper processing leads to better retention?

Levels of processing model Signup and view all the answers

What effect does proactive interference have on learning new information?

It disrupts learning of new information by using old information. Signup and view all the answers

What does the Cannon-Bard Theory suggest about emotional responses?

Physiological changes and emotional experiences occur simultaneously. Signup and view all the answers

According to the Two-Factor Theory, how is emotional labeling determined?

Through a combination of physiological response and situational appraisal. Signup and view all the answers

What is the Mere Exposure Effect?

The tendency to prefer stimuli that we have been exposed to repeatedly. Signup and view all the answers

In the context of emotion, what does the term 'autonomic arousal' refer to?

Physiological changes that occur in response to stimuli. Signup and view all the answers

Why might someone choose a familiar product, like KD, while grocery shopping?

Familiar products require less cognitive effort to choose. Signup and view all the answers

What is primarily measured by polygraph tests?

Physiological responses Signup and view all the answers

What misconception does the Pinocchio response illustrate?

Physiological arousal is directly linked to lying. Signup and view all the answers

What is a key limitation of voice stress analysis?

Voice pitch can be affected by various emotional states. Signup and view all the answers

What assumption does the guilty knowledge test operate under?

Guilty people possess knowledge not available to the innocent. Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following is an example of an overt behavioral expression?

Screaming Signup and view all the answers

What does the Drive Reduction Theory primarily suggest about motivation?

It is driven by the need to reduce internal tension caused by drives. Signup and view all the answers

What is one limitation of Drive Reduction Theory mentioned?

It fails to explain why behaviors persist post-satisfaction. Signup and view all the answers

In the context of motivation, what is meant by 'incentives'?

External goals that can motivate behavior. Signup and view all the answers

How does the expectancy theory define motivation?

As the result of outcome expectations multiplied by the value of the incentive. Signup and view all the answers

What issue arises from the observation of starving artists in relation to Drive Reduction Theory?

They engage in behaviors with low survival value. Signup and view all the answers

Which statement best describes the relationship between drives and incentives?

Drives push us toward action while incentives pull us. Signup and view all the answers

What aspect of behavior does the Drive Reduction Theory fail to explain adequately?

The actions driven by positive goals. Signup and view all the answers

According to the content, what can be inferred about a student who studies hard for a test compared to one who does not?

The hardworking student is driven by higher motivation levels. Signup and view all the answers

What is one of the ways to improve long-term memory retrieval?

Employing repeated retrieval or active recall Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following categories refers to memories we recall intentionally?

Episodic memory Signup and view all the answers

What term describes the activation of one concept by another in implicit memory?

Priming Signup and view all the answers

According to the concept of Hebbian learning, what happens to neurons when they fire together?

They wire together to enhance communication Signup and view all the answers

What type of amnesia involves the loss of memories from past experiences?

Retrograde amnesia Signup and view all the answers

Which process is hypothesized to involve the conversion of information into durable memory codes stored in long-term memory?

Consolidation Signup and view all the answers

What is one of the primary characteristics of Alzheimer's disease?

It is genetically linked and degenerative Signup and view all the answers

What did Karl Lashley's experiments with rats attempt to identify?

The location of the engram within the brain Signup and view all the answers

What condition is characterized by the inability to form new memories from experiences after a traumatic event?

Anterograde amnesia Signup and view all the answers

Which type of memory involves the skill of performing motor tasks without conscious thought?

Procedural memory Signup and view all the answers

What is primarily responsible for hunger pangs?

Muscle contractions in the stomach Signup and view all the answers

What does the Glucostatic Theory suggest?

Decreased blood glucose levels can stimulate the drive to eat Signup and view all the answers

Which hormone is secreted by fat cells to suppress appetite?

Leptin Signup and view all the answers

What outcome is observed when the lateral hypothalamus is lesioned?

Increased hunger responses Signup and view all the answers

Which statement about the relationship between nutritious foods and satiety is correct?

Nutritious foods generally result in more satiety than non-nutritious ones. Signup and view all the answers

What role does neuropeptide Y play in appetite regulation?

Promotes hunger and triggers feeding behavior Signup and view all the answers

In the example of respondent conditioning, what does the McDonald's logo represent?

A conditioned stimulus eliciting a food-related conditioned response Signup and view all the answers

What happens when food-related stimuli act as discriminative cues?

They signal reinforcement for obtaining and consuming food. Signup and view all the answers

How do ghrelin levels influence hunger?

They are released in a schedule affecting daily eating patterns. Signup and view all the answers

What sequence of events does the ventromedial hypothalamus primarily regulate?

Decreased eating when stimulated Signup and view all the answers

Study Notes

Memory

Memory illusion is a false but compelling memory, like recalling "sleep" in an experiment. The brain fills in gaps with past information that fits stimuli.
Memories are retrieved by reconstructing them in the present moment. There isn't a storage shelf for memories, the brain reconstructs them based on current information.
Memory follows a three-component model: sensory, short-term, and long-term.
Primacy effect: remembering initial information.
Recency effect: remembering last information.
Visual stimuli studies show that people can accurately identify photos they've seen before, even after several days (85% accuracy). However, accuracy drops significantly with time. Memory recall degrades with time.
Library analogy: Memory is like a book filed in a library.

Long Term Memory

Memories last from minutes to years.
Larger than short-term memory.
Permastore: a type of long-term memory that appears permanent.
Long-term memory can be split into categories, including explicit and implicit memory.

Short Term Memory

Retains information for limited durations (10-15 seconds).
Also called working memory.
Decay and interference can affect short-term memory.
Information is held while we are processing or attending to it.
Capacity is approximately, 7 +/- 2 items.
Chunking helps to increase the capacity of short-term memory by grouping items into larger, more meaningful units.

Encoding, Storage, and Retrieval

Encoding is the process of getting information into memory.
Storage is the process of holding information in memory.
Retrieval is the process of getting information out of memory.
Problem: Our memories should be flawless if storage metaphor was correct but memory is not flawless due to inconsistencies with contemporary research.

Forgetting

Forgetting is the deterioration in learned behavior that occurs when information is not practiced or reviewed after a period. The learned behaviour becomes weaker over time.
Is retention interval, the time between learning and testing the retention of information, the cause of forgetting? Are memories erased, or altered with time?
Is forgetting the reconstruction process is an instance of learning?

Sensory Memory

Sensory memory is the first component of memory.
A brief storage of perceptual information from sensory receptors e.g eyes and ears.
Holds information for approximately 1.5 seconds.

Memory as a network

Memory can be represented as a network.
Concepts are like "nodes," linked together in a network. The farther the lines are, the weaker the relationship between concepts.
Favored model due to similarities with neural network models.

Long-Term Memory

Relatively enduring retention of information, facts, experiences.
LTM (is much longer than) STM.
Capacity is larger than STM.
Information can last hours to years; some seemingly permanent.

Explicit Memories

Explicit: memories we intentionally recall.
Episodic (past events), Semantic (knowledge of the world).

Implicit Memories

Implicit: memories we do not intentionally recall.
Procedural (motor skills, habits) and Priming.

Neural Basis of Memory Storage

Engram: A theoretical physical location for a memory trace.
Memories are likely not localized in a single brain area, but scattered throughout the brain.
Lashley's work, aiming for an engram, suggests memories are not in a specific area but instead distributed throughout the brain.

Hebbian Learning

When neurons interact regularly (fire together,wire together).
When one neuron excites another, a chemical process occurs, enabling the first neuron to become better at stimulating the second.
Key to forming memories.

Long-Term Potentiation (LTP)

A strengthening of synapses that enhances signal transmission.

Amnesia

Loss of memories, from the past.
Retrograde: Loss of memories before an injury.
Anterograde: Inability to form new memories after an injury.

Consolidation

Hypothetical process converting info to long-term memory.
Involves the hippocampus and amygdala.

Alzheimer's

A progressive, degenerative disease.
Primarily affects memory and cognition, often resulting in dementia.

Infantile Amnesia

Lack of early childhood memories.

Flashbulb Memories

Vivid, detailed memories of emotional and significant events.

Cryptomnesia

Unconsciously repeating an idea that was learned elsewhere.
Mistaking something from one's own personal experience as one's own idea.

Motivation and Emotion

Motivation is a process that influences the type of behavior expressed and its persistence and the capacity to carry out a behaviour. Motivation is not an explanation but a vague description.
Drive reduction theory explains motivation as internal tension that pushes us towards actions that reduce tension.
Incentive theory explains the push towards desired objects/goals (incentives).
Expectancy theory emphasizes the drive to fulfill goals e.g. expectancy that a behavior will result in a goal x value of the goal.
Intrinsic motivation refers to internal goals like passion whereas extrinsic motivation refers to external incentives like rewards.

Physiology of Hunger

Glucostatic theory suggests that hunger is triggered when blood glucose levels drop.
Homeostasis is maintained by short-term signals (like hunger pangs) and long-term signals (related to appetite and weight).
Hormones like ghrelin and leptin are implicated in feelings of hunger/fullness, which signal to the brain to increase/decrease appetite.

Cognitive Perspective

Expectations about eating, palatability, quantity available, and variety influence eating behavior.

Eating Disorders

Obesity is associated with psychological factors, genetic components (40-70%), and environmental factors like lifestyle.
Bulimia nervosa involves cycles of binge eating and compensatory behaviors like purging.
Anorexia nervosa involves extreme weight loss due to food restriction and fear of weight gain.

Emotion

Cognitive component: subjective experience of emotion (e.g., fear, anxiety, love).
Physiological component: autonomic responses associated with emotion (e.g., increased heart rate, sweating).
Behavioral component: overt expressions of emotion (e.g., smiling, crying).

Polygraph Tests

Measures physiological signs associated with stress, not necessarily lying.
Guilty knowledge tests are used in this approach.

Display Rules

Cultural norms regarding expressing emotions publicly or privately.

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Description

Explore the fascinating concepts of memory in this quiz, focusing on memory illusion, recall processes, and the three-component model of memory. You'll also learn about the primacy and recency effects, as well as the characteristics of long-term memory. Test your understanding of how we perceive and recall memories over time.