Chapter 6: LTM-Structure
What precautions are taken to be sure that people with normal memory do not use episodic memory in an experiment that is designed to test implicit memory?
(1) presenting the priming stimulus in a task that does not appear to be a memory task (2) use testing procedures that do not refer to memory (3) measure how accurately and quickly the subject responds to a stimulus
How have episodic and semantic memory been distinguished from one another? Consider both the definitions and Tulving's idea of mental time travel
Auditory coding is the predominant type in STM, Semantic coding is the predominant type in LTM. The defining property of the experience of episodic memory is that in involves mental time travel (self knowing or remembering) and the experience of semantic memories (knowledge) does not involve mental time travel
What is classical conditioning? Why is it a form of implicit memory?
Classical conditioning - occurs when the two following stimuli are paired: (1) a neutral stimulus that does not result in a response and (2) a conditioning stimulus that does result in a response This is implicit memory because it can occur even if the person has forgotten about the original pairing of the neutral stimulus and the conditioned stimulus
What is the constructive episodic simulation hypothesis? Describe McDermott's experiment in which she compared the perspectives and viewpoints that people take when remembering the past and imagining the future
Constructive episodic simulation hypothesis - episodic memories are extracted and recombined to construct simulations of future events Suggest the main role of episodic memory s not to remember the past, but instead enable people to stimulate possible future senarios in order to help anticipate future needs and guide future behavior
Distinguish between explicit and implicit memory
Explicit memory - conscious memories we are aware of Implicit memory - unconscious memories we are unaware of
What conclusions about the separation of STM and LTM followed neuropsychology studies involving HM and KF?
H.M & Wearing - STM remained intact but couldn't transfer info to LTM K.F. - STM impaired, LTM functioning establishing a double association between STM and LTM
What do more recent experiments, such as the one by Ranganath and D'Esposito, indicate about the separation between brain mechanisms serving STM & LTM?
Hippocampus fMRI response increases during the delay for novel faces but only increases slightly for faces people had been before
Describe how knowledge (semantic) can affect experience (episodic)
Knowledge can influence the nature of experiences that become episodic memories
Describe how differences between STM and LTM have been determined by measuring serial portion curves
LTM is an archive of information about past experiences in our life and knowledge we have learned. LTM coordinates with working memory for create our ongoing experience. The primacy (LTM) and recency (STM) effects that occur in serial position curves have been linked to LTM and STM
Describe how personal significance can make semantic memories easier to remember. What happens to the personal significance effect in people who have list their episodic memories due to brain damage?
Personal semantic memories are semantic memories that are associated with personal experiences. These personal experiences can enhance the recall of semantic information, except not in people who have lost their episodic memories due to brain damage.
What is priming? Repetition priming? Describe the Graf experiment, including the results and how they support the idea that priming is a form of implicit memory
Priming occurs when the presentation of a priming stimulus changes the way a person responds to the testing stimulus Repetition priming occurs when the test stimulus is the same as or resembles the priming stimulus The Graf experiment - subjects with and without amnesia were tested by reading a 10-word list and rating how much they liked each word, then they recalled the words or completed a word completion test; results showed amnesiac patients recalled fewer words (showing poor explicit memory) but performed as well as the control group in word completion showing good implicit memory
What is procedural memory? Describe the mirror drawing experiment and why procedural memory is considered a form of implicit memory
Procedural memory is the memory for doing things that usually involve learned skills. Mirror drawing experiment - copying a picture seen in a mirror Clive Wearing - inability to form new long-term memories but knew how to play the piano and can master new skills although they don't remember any of the practice K.C. - learned how to sort and stack books in a library, no recollection of learning the skill but his performance improved with practice over time Procedural memory is considered a form of implicit memory because you unconsciously learn how to do things
What is expert-induced amnesia, and how does it relate to an important property of procedural memory?
Procedural memory, also called skill memory, has been studied in patients with amnesia. They are able to learn new skills, although they do not remember learning them. Procedural memory is a common component of many of the skills we learn. One outcome of the automatic character of procedural memories is expert-induced amnesia.
What are some examples of visual, auditory, and semantic coding for STM and for LTM?
STM - holding an image in the mind to reproduce a visual patter than was just seen, representing the sounds of letters in the mind just after hearing them, placing words in an STM task into categories based on their meaning LTM - visualizing a person or place from the past, when you "play a song in your head", recalling the general plot of a novel you read last week.
Describe the Perfect and Askew advertising experiment. What is the propaganda effect and why could it be considered a form of priming?
Subjects scanned articles in a magazine then were asked to rate advertisements on various dimensions. Subjects gave higher ratings to advertisements they had been exposed to rather than ones they hadn't seen Propaganda effect - subjects are more likely to rate statements they have been exposed to as being true, simply because they've been exposed to it A form of priming because presenting a stimulus that they already have been exposed to will change then way they respond to a testing stimulus
Describe how memory loss is depicted in movies and how accurate are these depictions
The accuracy of memory loss ranges from depictions that resembles types of memory loss that actually occur to completely fictional types of memory loss that have never occured
What is the remember/know procedure? How does it distinguish between episodic and semantic memories? How has it been used to measure how memory changes over time?
The remember/know procedure is based on the idea that recollection is associated with episodic memory and familiarity is associated with semantic memory. A procedure in which subjects are presented with a stimulus they have encountered before and are asked to indicate remember, if they remember the circumstances under which they initially encountered it, or know, if the stimulus seems familiar but they don't remember experiencing it earlier.
Describe the following evidence that indicates overlap between episodic memory for the past and the ability to image future events: (1) memory of people who have lost their episodic memory and (2) brain imaging evidence
There is a link between the ability to remember the past and the ability to imagine the future. This has led to the proposal that a function of episodic memory is to help anticipate future needs and guide future behavior, both of which can be important for survival. both episodic and semantic memory systems need to be functioning in order for us to think about personal future. An fMRI showed subjects silently thinking about the past and potential future events, lit up similar areas of the brain
What do recent experiments studying LSJ tell us about connections between procedural memory and semantic memory?
There is evidence, based on testing a brain-damaged woman, that there is a connection between procedural memory and semantic memories related to motor skills.
Describe neuropsychological evidence for a double dissociation between episodic and semantic memory
These studies have shown a DD between STM and LTM, which supports the idea that they are caused by different mechanisms. K.C lost his episodic memory but knows certain things happen like his brothers funeral 2yrs ago, but remembers nothing personal about the funeral indicating semantic memory
Describe how Wickens and Sachs experiments provide evidence for semantic coding in STM and LTM. What can we conclude about similarities and differences in STM and LTM based on the way coding occurs?
Wikens: subjects were presented with words related to either a) fruits or b) professions. Subjects in each group listened to 2 words, counted backwards for 15 seconds, then attempted to recall the three words. Repeated x4 with different words Sachs: Subjects listen to a passage and then measured their recognition memory to determine if they remembered the exact wording of sentences or just the general meaning. Conclusion: the type of coding that occurs in a particular situation depends largely on the task. Auditory is predominant for STM Semantic is predominant for LTM Good evidence of separation of STM and LTM, but some overlap occurs esp. for novel stimuli.
Describe what happens to memory as time passes. What is the semanticization of episodic memory?
loss of episodic details for memories of long-ago events
What is autobiographical memory? How does the definition incorporate both episodic and semantic memory?
memory for specific events from a person's life, which can include both episodic and semantic components
What role does Addis and coworkers suggest for episodic memory?
not to remember the past, but to enable people to simulate possible future scenarios in order to help anticipate needs and behavior
Describe Levine's "diary" experiment. What do the brain imaging results indicate about episodic and semantic memory?
subjects recorded an audiotape of everyday personal events and facts. An fRMI was done as they listened to their recording later on. Brain imaging indicated that overlapping but different areas are activated by episodic and semantic memories
