Learning And Memory: Exam 1

Front 1

what is the form of communication between neurons

Back 1

chemical

Front 2

What method involves the measurement of synaptic and action potentials from the surface of the scalp?

Back 2

EEG

Front 3

What do we call the cellular mechanism in which the connection between neurons is strengthened by increasing the excitatory post-synaptic potential, thereby boosting the likelihood of an action potential?

Back 3

Long term potentiation

Front 4

How are memories stored in the brain?

Back 4

in cell assemblies

Front 5

We know that neurons are the basic processing units in the brain. What change to neurons is associated with learning and memory?

Back 5

the number and strength or neural connections

Front 6

Which of the following true of brain organization?

Back 6

A. There are distinct cerebral hemispheres that process information from different sides of the body.
B. There are distinct brain lobes that process information from different modalities (e.g., vision vs. audition vs. touch).
C. There are cortical maps in primary sensory and motor areas that map onto different regions of the body.
D. All of the answers shown here are correct

Front 7

Which technology for measured brain activity takes advantage of the fact that oxygenated vs. unoxygenated molecules respond differently to magnetic pulses?

Back 7

fMRI

Front 8

At a systems level, how is memory organized in the brain?

Back 8

memory is distributed throughout the brain but in highly specific pathways

Front 9

One of the key assumptions of Gall's phrenology is that the psychological characteristics of individuals can be revealed by skull anatomy. Is this assumption correct?

Back 9

no

Front 10

One of the key assumptions of Gall's phrenology is that the brain has functionally distinct areas, i.e., different regions responsible for different functions. Is this assumption correct?

Back 10

yes

Front 11

What do we call it when we see a reduction in responding to an irrelevant stimulus when it is repeated, even though it has been perceived, such as when we come to ignore sounds in a house (e.g., the humming of an air conditioner) over time?

Back 11

habituation

Front 12

Assume an infant is shown a dark blue picture repeatedly until the infant shows a decrease in the sucking response. Then the infant is shown a light blue picture, and there is a recovery in the sucking response. What do we call this recovery in responding?

Back 12

dishabituation

Front 13

In what ways to habituation and sensitization differ?

Back 13

Habituation involves a decrease in responding, sensitization involves an increase in responding.

Habituation is stimulus and response specific, sensitization is more generalized

Front 14

One of the challenges with studying learning and memory in infants and animals is that they can't give verbal responses. What method can be used to get around this, to study learning and memory without needing verbal reports from subjects?

Back 14

habituation

Front 15

We see that repetition of a stimulus can lead to a decrease in responding to the stimulus. Sometimes, however, especially for emotionally provoking stimuli, the presence of the stimulus can produce an increase in responding to the stimulus when shown subsequently. What do we call this?

Back 15

sensitization

Front 16

Can infants remember information that they were exposed to in utero (i.e., while in the womb of their mother)?

Back 16

yes

Front 17

What findings have been obtained in studies of memory using novelty preference procedures?

Back 17

Typically, infants can only remember information for a short period of time (e.g., 15 - 60 seconds), but the length of retention increases during development.

Front 18

Does novelty affect looking time, and if so, how?

Back 18

Looking time is greater for novel items than familiar items.

Front 19

Which of the following are infants capable of, according to studies using habituation procedures?

Back 19

Discriminating between colors.

discrimination between faces

discrimination between familiar speech sounds

Front 20

When a stimulus is repeated, attention to the stimulus declines. This reflects _______. After a delay, you see a reorientation to the stimulus. This reorientation reflects _______.

Back 20

Memory; forgetting.

Front 21

Consider the ability to perceive colors. Research shows that when shown a hues across the full visual spectrum, we perceive bands of distinct colors (i.e., we perceive categories of colors) rather than a continuous gradation of hues. What do we call this tendency to classify stimuli into discrete categories?

Back 21

categorical perception

Front 22

Your book distinguishes between perceptual memory and cognitive memory. What is one way that these two forms of memory differ?

Back 22

The former may or may not be performed consciously, the latter is conscious.

Front 23

What does your textbook call it when the presentation of a stimulus improves the detect, discriminate, and classify sensory information from that stimulus' category?

Back 23

perceptual skill learning

Front 24

What do we call it when the presentation of a stimulus causes a facilitation in the subsequent processing of that exact stimulus?

Back 24

repetition priming

Front 25

How is repetition priming different from so-called cognitive memory?

Back 25

all of the above answers are correct

Front 26

The ability to solve a puzzle, such as the Tower of Hanoi, is an example of what?

Back 26

a cognitive skill

Front 27

What is true of the power law of learning?

Back 27

It says that you get diminishing returns with regard to the amount of time you spend practicing.

Front 28

Which of the following is generally accepted by scientists with regard to skilled performance?

Back 28

Practice is critical in determining how well a person can perform a skill.

Front 29

How does memory for skills differ from memory for events and facts?

Back 29

Skill memories are improved by repeated experiences, memories for facts can be acquired with a single exposure.

Skill memories may be accessed unconsciously, memories for facts are typically accessed with conscious awareness.

Skill memories may be difficult to verbalize, memories for facts are typically verbalizable.

Front 30

Which of the following leads to better long-term retention of a skill?

Back 30

spaced-practice

Front 31

how do processing units change during learning? How is information coded by neurons?

Back 31

cellular analysis

Front 32

which brain structures play a role in learning and memory? what is the organization?

Back 32

systems analysis

Front 33

what did the neuron doctrine state?

Back 33

brain composed of separate, distinct nerve cells

Front 34

how does information flow in neurons?

Back 34

signals received by dendrites

signals spread to cell body

if there is an Action Potential, signal travels down axon

at the end of the axon, signals can be sent to other neurons

Front 35

where do synaptic potentials occur?

Back 35

the dendrites

Front 36

what is an action potential?

Back 36

an action potential occurs when a signal reaches the axon hillock and is strong enough it creates an action potential is created

Front 37

what is synaptic transmission?

Back 37

when an action potential is passed from one neuron to another

Front 38

what is synaptic plasticity?

Back 38

ability of a synapse to change as the result of experience

learning influences size of post synaptic potential

Front 39

who coined the term, "neurons that fire together, wire together"

Back 39

Habb

Front 40

what is long-term potentiation?

Back 40

when stimulation makes a neuron more likely to respond to subsequent stimulation

Front 41

What was Galls theory of phrenology?

Back 41

believed skull anatomy was closely related to underlying brain anatomy

Front 42

what does TMS stand for?

Back 42

transcranial magnetic stimulation

Front 43

what does EEG stand for?

Back 43

electroencephalography

Front 44

how is learning done at the cellular level?

Back 44

learning seems to be rooted in changes in synaptic transmission and changes in connectivity

Front 45

at the systems level how is memory done?

Back 45

memory is distributed throughout the brain but particular forms of memory are supported by specific pathways

Front 46

define learning

Back 46

a change in behavior that reflects the acquisition of information during past experiences

Front 47

what is habituation?

Back 47

habituation is when we see a decrease in response to a stimulus that has already been perceived

Front 48

what is sensitization?

Back 48

when a stimulus is repeated and the response to the stimulus increases. It's usually tied to emotional events/stimuli

Front 49

what is simple stimulus learning?

Back 49

learning from the repetition of a single stimulus

Front 50

what does stimulus repetition do?

Back 50

decreases responding

increases responding

affects preferences

enhances learning about classes of stimuli

speeds up responding

Front 51

what is the mere exposure effect?

Back 51

the idea that simply being exposed to a stimulus (even if its not long enough to consciously perceive it) makes us more likely to like that stimulus in the future

Front 52

what is perceptual learning?

Back 52

learning that affects responding to an entire class of stimuli rather than one repeated stimuli

affects identification, categorization and discrimination

Front 53

how do we know when learning and memory is involved in behavior?

Back 53

learning and memory is involved anytime info from past experiences affects current thinking or behavior

Front 54

what is determinism?

Back 54

the assumption that behavior is lawful

Front 55

how do we use the scientific method in L&M as an empirical science?

Back 55

develop a theory

derive predictions

test predictions through observation

Front 56

what are some empirical methods used in learning and memory research?

Back 56

correlational studies

naturalistic observation

experimental methods

Front 57

what did Ebbinghaus do?

Back 57

Ebbinghaus' paradigm is considered the model of how to study learning and memory

Front 58

what are the three schools of thought that go into learning and memory?

Back 58

behaviorism

cognitive psychology

neuroscience

Front 59

who were some behaviorism psychologists?

Back 59

watson and skinner

Front 60

what is the S-R theory?

Back 60

the mind is a "black box"

a stimulus goes in and a response comes out. theres no study of the mind and why the response is what it is

Front 61

what are some key points of a cognitive approach to L&M?

Back 61

embrace the study of the mind

direct observation isn't needed

Front 62

what are some non-invasive physiological measures that we can take?

Back 62

EEG

fMRI

MEG

Front 63

what are some concerns with using animals to study learning and memory?

Back 63

we don't know if the finding will generalize to humans

Front 64

why are experimental methods preferred to study psychology?

Back 64

they're preferred so that we can infer causation

Front 65

what are the stages of acquisition?

Back 65

cognitive stage

associative stage

autonomous stage

Front 66

how do we learn skills?

Back 66

skill learning and memory results from the repeated performance of a task (rather than stimulus repetition)

Front 67

what parts of the brain are key to skill learning?

Back 67

the basal ganglia

the cerebellum

the cortex

Front 68

whats the difference between skill memory and event/factual memory?

Back 68

skill memory is memory for how to do something while event/factual memory is memory for specific events and bits of info

also skill learning can be difficult to verbalize, learned and retrieved without awareness

Front 69

what are perceptual motor skills?

Back 69

everyday examples of skills

skills studied in labs

Front 70

what are two examples of perceptual-motor skills studied in labs?

Back 70

rotary pursuit taks

mirror tracing