Chapter 8: Memory part 2
- Key Memory Structures in the Brain
o Frontal lobes and hippocampus: explicit memory formation/storage
o Cerebellum and basal ganglia: implicit memory formation/storage; classical
conditioning (cerebellum)
o Amygdala : emotion-related memory formation/storage; flashbulb memories
(intense and vivid memories bc of emotional content, not more accurate than other
memories)
- Memory Storage: Synaptic Changes
o With learning in Aplysia (California sea slug),
More serotonin released
Number of synapses increased
o Long-term potentiation (LTP)- Relatively permanent change in a neuron that would
indicate that learning happened
Potential: the ability to do something
- Memory Retrieval: Retrieval Cues
o Priming- giving a cue that activates one part of the memory system and makes you
more inclined to choose a particular meaning
Seeing or hearing the word ‘rabbit’ => activates concept/image of a rabbit
appears in head => primes spelling the spoken word ‘hair’/’hare’ as ‘h-a-r-e
o Context-dependent memory: retrieval of information in the same location where
you learned the information
Greater recall when learning and testing context were the same
Ex. Taking a test in the same place where you learned the information
o Serial Position Effect
- Forgetting: Reasons
o Encoding failure: We cannot remember what we have not encoded
o Storage Decay
Ebbinghaus’ forgetting curve
Attention drops rapidly after first period of memorization
25% to 20% over the next 20 days
o Retrieval failure
Interference- something’s blocking the memory
Proactive: occurs when OLDER memory makes it more difficult to
remember NEW information
- Key Memory Structures in the Brain
o Frontal lobes and hippocampus: explicit memory formation/storage
o Cerebellum and basal ganglia: implicit memory formation/storage; classical
conditioning (cerebellum)
o Amygdala : emotion-related memory formation/storage; flashbulb memories
(intense and vivid memories bc of emotional content, not more accurate than other
memories)
- Memory Storage: Synaptic Changes
o With learning in Aplysia (California sea slug),
More serotonin released
Number of synapses increased
o Long-term potentiation (LTP)- Relatively permanent change in a neuron that would
indicate that learning happened
Potential: the ability to do something
- Memory Retrieval: Retrieval Cues
o Priming- giving a cue that activates one part of the memory system and makes you
more inclined to choose a particular meaning
Seeing or hearing the word ‘rabbit’ => activates concept/image of a rabbit
appears in head => primes spelling the spoken word ‘hair’/’hare’ as ‘h-a-r-e
o Context-dependent memory: retrieval of information in the same location where
you learned the information
Greater recall when learning and testing context were the same
Ex. Taking a test in the same place where you learned the information
o Serial Position Effect
- Forgetting: Reasons
o Encoding failure: We cannot remember what we have not encoded
o Storage Decay
Ebbinghaus’ forgetting curve
Attention drops rapidly after first period of memorization
25% to 20% over the next 20 days
o Retrieval failure
Interference- something’s blocking the memory
Proactive: occurs when OLDER memory makes it more difficult to
remember NEW information
