Psyc1020 Exam Questions with Verified
Solutions
Encoding - ANSWER-conversion of sensory information into a form that can be retained
as a memory
Storage - ANSWER-Effectivly retaining information for later use
Retrieval - ANSWER-Locating the item (memory) and using it. eg. recall and recognition
Memory Structures - ANSWER-Made up of three different stores. 1) Sensory Register
2) Short Termm Memory 3) Long Term Memory
Sensory Register - ANSWER-A storage system that registers and briefly holds
information from senses. Made up of a) Iconic memory & b) Echoic memory
Iconic Memory - ANSWER-A component of the sensory register system that is related
to the visual system. Can hold 9 to 10 items for a short duration (<0.05 seconds).
Echoic Memory - ANSWER-A component of the sensory register system that is related
the auditiory system. Can hold up to 5 items for a 2 second duration.
Short Term Memory - ANSWER-Intermidiate storage system that breifly holds
information prior to consolidation, can hold average of 7 numbers for a 30 second
duration. Can increase size of STM by 'Chunking'
Long Term Memory - ANSWER-Storage system that retains information for a long
period of time, but perception of information can change over time. Made up of four
components; Semantic & Episodic, Implicit (procedural) & Explicit (declarative)
Semantic Memory - ANSWER-memory for general knowledge
Episodic Memory - ANSWER-memory of a specific event
Procedual/Implicit Memory - ANSWER-Without awareness of remembering
Declarative/Explicit Memory - ANSWER-Concious recollection of remembering
Dynamic Processes - ANSWER-Can redily distort LTM
,Free Recall Study - ANSWER-A simple, traditional method of memory research where
memory is seen as a function of 'x'.
Memory as a function of X - ANSWER-Any objectively manipulated stimuli or
environmental variable
Primacy Effect - ANSWER-A general effect of the 'free recall' study showing memory
being best for things learned first.
Recency Effect - ANSWER-A general effect of the 'free recal' study showing memory is
good for things learned last. But could also be because of the contribution of STM
Context - ANSWER-When memory is better when you are in the context you learned in.
Internal state - ANSWER-Memory is better when your internal state is the same as the
time of learning, eg. If you study drunk, you will perform better if you do your exam
drunk...right?
Abstraction - ANSWER-When you store the meaning of the message but not the exact
wording. (Bransford 1971)
Protective Mechanisms of the Brain - ANSWER-Dura, Cerebrospinal fluid & skull
Brain Trauma - ANSWER-1)brain contacts the skull, 2) lack of bloodflow, 3) Tumour, 4)
degenerative diseases 5) Infectious diseases, 6) open head injuries
Illusory correlation - ANSWER-the false perception of a relationship between two events
when none exists.
Hindsight Bias - ANSWER-the tendency to believe, after learning an outcome, that one
would have foreseen it
Better-than-average effect - ANSWER-most people describe themselves as above
average in nearly every way. Does interact with culture and affect (especially
depression)
Adenosine - ANSWER-An inhibitory neurotransmitter that plays a role in promoting
sleep and suppressing arousal. The levels in the brain increase every hour an organism
is awake.
Melatonin - ANSWER-Maintains sleepiness
Superchiasmatic Nucleus - ANSWER-group of neurons in hypothalamus that makes us
drowsy at different times of day/night
, Awake - ANSWER-A stage of sleep...kind of, Beta (alert)+ Alpha activity (relaxed)
Stage 1 - ANSWER-The brief transition to sleep that involves Theta Waves (lower
frequency & higher amplitude than Beta Waves.
Hypnic Myclonia - ANSWER-When falling asleep, our body jerks suddenly and we feel
anxiety and as if we are falling.
Stage 2 - ANSWER-A stage of sleep including Sleep Spindles & K complexes.
Sleep Spindle - ANSWER-Rapid burst of electrical activity that occurs in stage 2 sleep.
Linked to excitation of circuit between thalamus and Frontal cortex
K complex - ANSWER-Rapid spike in electrical activity that occurs in stage 2 sleep.
Linked to external stimulation
Stage 3 - ANSWER-Emergence of Delta activity
Stage 4 - ANSWER-Usually bundled with stage 3. Delta waves present. Rejuvenates
muscles, slows respiration and lowers body temperature. Difficult to wake from
Delta Waves - ANSWER-Very low frequency and high amplitude - especially occur
during stage 4.
REM Sleep - ANSWER-Stage of sleep which causes dreaming; higher blood pressure,
pulse & respiratory rate. Activates brainstem, amygdla, thalamus & visual association
cortex but total paralysis of skeletal muscles.
REM sleep behaviour disorder - ANSWER-When muscles are not paralysed properly
during sleep
Dysomnias - ANSWER-Disorders of initiating/ maintaining sleep
Parasomnias - ANSWER-Behavioral or physiological events intrude on sleep
Language - ANSWER-Lateralized in the left hemisphere in 85% of the population
Broca's Area - ANSWER-Area in frontal lobe that directs the muscle movements
involved in speech (ie. Language production). Lateralization is associated with enlarged
'pars Triangularis' (Brodmann 45) in Inferior frontal Gyrus
Wernicke's Area - ANSWER-Brain area involved in language comprehension, usually in
the left temporal lobe. Lateralization associated with enlarged Heschl's Gyrus & Planum
Temporale.
Solutions
Encoding - ANSWER-conversion of sensory information into a form that can be retained
as a memory
Storage - ANSWER-Effectivly retaining information for later use
Retrieval - ANSWER-Locating the item (memory) and using it. eg. recall and recognition
Memory Structures - ANSWER-Made up of three different stores. 1) Sensory Register
2) Short Termm Memory 3) Long Term Memory
Sensory Register - ANSWER-A storage system that registers and briefly holds
information from senses. Made up of a) Iconic memory & b) Echoic memory
Iconic Memory - ANSWER-A component of the sensory register system that is related
to the visual system. Can hold 9 to 10 items for a short duration (<0.05 seconds).
Echoic Memory - ANSWER-A component of the sensory register system that is related
the auditiory system. Can hold up to 5 items for a 2 second duration.
Short Term Memory - ANSWER-Intermidiate storage system that breifly holds
information prior to consolidation, can hold average of 7 numbers for a 30 second
duration. Can increase size of STM by 'Chunking'
Long Term Memory - ANSWER-Storage system that retains information for a long
period of time, but perception of information can change over time. Made up of four
components; Semantic & Episodic, Implicit (procedural) & Explicit (declarative)
Semantic Memory - ANSWER-memory for general knowledge
Episodic Memory - ANSWER-memory of a specific event
Procedual/Implicit Memory - ANSWER-Without awareness of remembering
Declarative/Explicit Memory - ANSWER-Concious recollection of remembering
Dynamic Processes - ANSWER-Can redily distort LTM
,Free Recall Study - ANSWER-A simple, traditional method of memory research where
memory is seen as a function of 'x'.
Memory as a function of X - ANSWER-Any objectively manipulated stimuli or
environmental variable
Primacy Effect - ANSWER-A general effect of the 'free recall' study showing memory
being best for things learned first.
Recency Effect - ANSWER-A general effect of the 'free recal' study showing memory is
good for things learned last. But could also be because of the contribution of STM
Context - ANSWER-When memory is better when you are in the context you learned in.
Internal state - ANSWER-Memory is better when your internal state is the same as the
time of learning, eg. If you study drunk, you will perform better if you do your exam
drunk...right?
Abstraction - ANSWER-When you store the meaning of the message but not the exact
wording. (Bransford 1971)
Protective Mechanisms of the Brain - ANSWER-Dura, Cerebrospinal fluid & skull
Brain Trauma - ANSWER-1)brain contacts the skull, 2) lack of bloodflow, 3) Tumour, 4)
degenerative diseases 5) Infectious diseases, 6) open head injuries
Illusory correlation - ANSWER-the false perception of a relationship between two events
when none exists.
Hindsight Bias - ANSWER-the tendency to believe, after learning an outcome, that one
would have foreseen it
Better-than-average effect - ANSWER-most people describe themselves as above
average in nearly every way. Does interact with culture and affect (especially
depression)
Adenosine - ANSWER-An inhibitory neurotransmitter that plays a role in promoting
sleep and suppressing arousal. The levels in the brain increase every hour an organism
is awake.
Melatonin - ANSWER-Maintains sleepiness
Superchiasmatic Nucleus - ANSWER-group of neurons in hypothalamus that makes us
drowsy at different times of day/night
, Awake - ANSWER-A stage of sleep...kind of, Beta (alert)+ Alpha activity (relaxed)
Stage 1 - ANSWER-The brief transition to sleep that involves Theta Waves (lower
frequency & higher amplitude than Beta Waves.
Hypnic Myclonia - ANSWER-When falling asleep, our body jerks suddenly and we feel
anxiety and as if we are falling.
Stage 2 - ANSWER-A stage of sleep including Sleep Spindles & K complexes.
Sleep Spindle - ANSWER-Rapid burst of electrical activity that occurs in stage 2 sleep.
Linked to excitation of circuit between thalamus and Frontal cortex
K complex - ANSWER-Rapid spike in electrical activity that occurs in stage 2 sleep.
Linked to external stimulation
Stage 3 - ANSWER-Emergence of Delta activity
Stage 4 - ANSWER-Usually bundled with stage 3. Delta waves present. Rejuvenates
muscles, slows respiration and lowers body temperature. Difficult to wake from
Delta Waves - ANSWER-Very low frequency and high amplitude - especially occur
during stage 4.
REM Sleep - ANSWER-Stage of sleep which causes dreaming; higher blood pressure,
pulse & respiratory rate. Activates brainstem, amygdla, thalamus & visual association
cortex but total paralysis of skeletal muscles.
REM sleep behaviour disorder - ANSWER-When muscles are not paralysed properly
during sleep
Dysomnias - ANSWER-Disorders of initiating/ maintaining sleep
Parasomnias - ANSWER-Behavioral or physiological events intrude on sleep
Language - ANSWER-Lateralized in the left hemisphere in 85% of the population
Broca's Area - ANSWER-Area in frontal lobe that directs the muscle movements
involved in speech (ie. Language production). Lateralization is associated with enlarged
'pars Triangularis' (Brodmann 45) in Inferior frontal Gyrus
Wernicke's Area - ANSWER-Brain area involved in language comprehension, usually in
the left temporal lobe. Lateralization associated with enlarged Heschl's Gyrus & Planum
Temporale.
