Psychology Chapter on Memory

Memory Types

• LTM (Long-Term Memory): A type of memory that stores information for extended periods, categorized into declarative and nondeclarative.
• Declarative Memory (Explicit): Consciously accessible memory, further divided into episodic and semantic memory.
• Episodic Memory: Memory of personal experiences and events; includes details about time and context.
• Semantic Memory: Memory of facts and general knowledge; does not include personal experiences.
• Nondeclarative Memory (Implicit): Unconscious memory, encompassing procedural, perceptual, and classical conditioning.
• Procedural Memory: Memory of skills and habits; how to perform actions.

Memory Processes

• Encoding: Processing incoming information and converting it into a memory representation.
• Acquisition: The initial process of gaining information, including selection (choosing relevant data) and consolidation (strengthening memory traces).
• Storage: Maintaining and preserving encoded information.
• Retrieval: Accessing and recalling stored memory.

Memory Anatomy

• Medial Temporal Lobe (MTL): Crucial for long-term memory, including the hippocampus and surrounding structures.
• Hippocampus: Essential for spatial navigation and converting short-term memories into long-term memories.
• Amnesia: Impairment of memory, categorized into retrograde (loss of past memories) and anterograde (inability to form new memories) types.

Memory Mechanisms

• Sensory Memory: Initial, brief storage of sensory information; includes iconic (visual) and echoic (auditory) memory.
• Short-Term Memory (STM): Holds a limited amount of information temporarily; crucial for conscious processing and rehearsal.
• Working Memory: Active maintenance and manipulation of information in STM; essential for complex tasks like reasoning and problem-solving.
• Models of Working Memory (e.g., Baddeley & Hitch): Working memory models describe its components including phonological loop and visuospatial sketchpad, with a central executive for control.
• Long-Term Memory: A long-term store of information organized into networks or associations.

Priming

• Priming: A change in responses to stimuli caused by prior exposure to similar stimuli.
• Perceptual Priming: Affects perceptual recognition based on prior exposure.
• Conceptual Priming: Affects higher-level cognitive processing from prior exposure.

Consolidation

• Consolidation: The process of stabilizing and strengthening memory traces; includes both temporary and long-term consolidation.

Long-term Memory Study (Rodent Studies)

• Rodent Studies: Using animal models to investigate how memories form and are stored in the brain, often involving hippocampal roles in spatial learning.
• Encoding and Retrieval: Encoding involves transforming information into a neural code, while retrieval involves accessing that information.
• Recollection and Familiarity: Two distinct processes—recollection (conscious recollection) and familiarity (subconscious awareness of previously encountered information)—in memory.

Episodic Memory (Contextual Memory)

• Episodic Memory: Memories of particular events associated with context (time and place).
• Explicit Memory: Declarative memories that are consciously available.
• Neural Substrates: The regions of the brain involved in encoding and storing episodic memories, primarily the hippocampus and associated cortical areas.

False Memories

• False Memories: Memories that are not accurate reflections of past events.

Memory Disorders (e.g., Alzheimer's, Huntington's, Parkinson's)

• Neurological Disorders: Brain diseases like Alzheimer's and Huntington's cause various memory problems.