u3 ao s 2 memory revision 2013

Unit 3 Revision

Area of Study 2

Memory

Tuesday, 22 October 2013

Memory is an active information-

processing system that receives,

organises, stores and recovers

information


Key Concepts


Key Concepts

Mechanics of Memory Formation


Key Concepts


Models of Memory


Key Concepts


Models of Memory

Theories of Forgetting


Key Concepts


Models of Memory

Theories of Forgetting

Manipulation and Improvement of Memory


Question 1

Sam is able to retain the vocabulary he learned in his French class long after the class has ended. The main memory process that accounts for the fact that Sam can hold information in his memory for extended periods of time is

A. Encoding

B. Retrieval

C. Chunking

D. StorageTuesday, 22 October 2013

Suggested Solution

Sam is able to retain the vocabulary he learned in his French class long after the class has ended. The main memory process that accounts for the fact that Sam can hold information in his memory for extended periods of time is

A. Encoding

B. Retrieval

C. Chunking

D. StorageTuesday, 22 October 2013

Question 2

What is the difference between encoding of information and retrieval of information in

memory?

(2 marks)


Suggested Solution

Encoding involves converting or transforming information into a

meaningful form or code for storage [1mark], whereas retrieval is the recovery or accessing of information or memories

from storage. [1 mark]

Award 1 mark each for describing encoding and retrieval.


Question 3

The component of the neuron called the _________ receives information from the _________ and sends it to the _________.

A. soma; dendrite; axon

B. dendrite; soma; axon

C. soma; axon; dendrite

D. axon; dendrite; soma


Suggested Solution

The component of the neuron called the _________ receives information from the _________ and sends it to the _________.

A. soma; dendrite; axon

B. dendrite; soma; axon

C. soma; axon; dendrite

D. axon; dendrite; soma


Question 4

What are two roles of the neuron in memory formation?

(2 marks)


Suggested Solution

Roles include:

*release more neurotransmitter e.g. glutamate

*strengthen connections within the network forming the memory e.g. growth of dendritic spines, synaptic formation

* LTP

Award 1 mark for each of two relevant roles.


Question 5

David, a 23-year-old university student, suffered from a brain injury and sustained damage to his amygdala. David is most likely to experience difficulty with

A. implicit memory.

B. explicit memory.

C. semantic memory.

D. sensory memory.


Suggested Solution

David, a 23-year-old university student, suffered from a brain injury and sustained damage to his amygdala. David is most likely to experience difficulty with

A. implicit memory.

B. explicit memory.

C. semantic memory.

D. sensory memory.


Question 6

Nina had a long conversation over the phone with her friend. When she finished, Nina tripped and fell heavily. She was knocked unconscious and ended up

in hospital.

According to the consolidation theory, Nina would not be expected to remember the telephone

conversation when she regained consciousness.

Why?

(2 marks)


Suggested Solution

Consolidation theory proposes that:

¥ physical changes to the neurons in the brain occur after learning, as the new information consolidates in memory

¥ if the memory is disrupted during the consolidation phase, the information may be lost before a long-term memory is formed

¥ the material being remembered is vulnerable to disruption for at least 30 minutes.

Thus, Nina is likely to forget what occurred in the conversation as consolidation will not have taken place.

Award 1 mark for explaining that the memory has been disrupted by Nina being knocked unconscious.

Award 1 mark for explaining that disruption of a memory during the consolidation phase will mean that the long-term memory is not formed.


Question 7

Harry is a healthy 70-year-old man who has no brain disease or injury.

Choose the statement that most probably describes his memory abilities.

A. He has joined a book club but cannot remember much about the weekly meetings.

B. He is just as likely as a young person to recognise newly learnt information.

C. He finds it very difficult to remember how to do activities he once enjoyed.

D. He is likely to forget factual information that he once knew well.


Suggested Solution

Harry is a healthy 70-year-old man who has no brain disease or injury.

Choose the statement that most probably describes his memory abilities.

A. He has joined a book club but cannot remember much about the weekly meetings.

B. He is just as likely as a young person to recognise newly learnt information.

C. He finds it very difficult to remember how to do activities he once enjoyed.

D. He is likely to forget factual information that he once knew well.


Question 8

Sam was involved in a car accident in which he hit his head. As a result he was unable to remember anything about the few days before the accident.

Sam is suffering from

A. Alzheimer's disease.

B. retrograde amnesia.

C. anterograde amnesia.

D. retroactive interference.


Suggested Solution

Sam was involved in a car accident in which he hit his head. As a result he was unable to remember anything about the few days before the accident.

Sam is suffering from

A. Alzheimer's disease.

B. retrograde amnesia.

C. anterograde amnesia.

D. retroactive interference.


Question 9

Name one psychological and one physiological symptom of Alzheimer's disease.

(2 marks)


Suggested Solution

Psychological: apathy, depression, anxiety, agitation, aggressive behaviour, delusions, hallucinations, long and short-term memory

impairment, personality changes

Physiological: degeneration of neurons of the brain, ameloid plaques in the brain, abnormal motor activity, impairment of basic motor

functions such as chewing and swallowing, slowed movement, coordination may be impaired, there may be twitching or jerking.

Award 1 mark for a correct psychological symptom

Award 1 mark for a correct physiological symptom.


Question 10

Describe the relationship between sensory memory, short-term memory and long-term

memory when learning new information. Your answer should include differences between

capacity and duration for each level of memory.

(3 marks)


Suggested Solution

Sensory memory — unlimited capacity; duration — a fraction of a second to a few seconds

Short-term memory — capacity 7 ± 2 chunks of information; duration — 20–30 seconds, if unattended

Long term memory — unlimited capacity; duration relatively permanent, indefinite or up to a lifetime.

VCAA Assessment Report note:Correct information for both capacity and duration was required to gain 1 mark for each memory type. The most

common flaw in students' answers involved providing only one of the two pieces of information for each memory level.


Question 11

The memory system that stores information about personal events and general knowledge is the

A. episodic system.

B. semantic system.

C. procedural system.

D. declarative system.


Suggested Solution

The memory system that stores information about personal events and general knowledge is the

A. episodic system.

B. semantic system.

C. procedural system.

D. declarative system.

Additional informationVCAA Assessment Report note:Many students chose option A; this shows the importance of reading all options, even though the first option may appear to be a possible correct response.


Question 12Celia works in a busy hot bread shop that has a broken cash register. Celia needs to use mental arithmetic to calculate the amount of money customers must pay for their purchases.

Which component of working memory is able to combine information from elsewhere in working memory and from long-term memory, but is not involved in the final decision of how much Celia’s customers have to pay?

A. episodic buffer

B. central executive

C. phonological loop

D. visuo-spatial sketchpad


Suggested Solution

Celia works in a busy hot bread shop that has a broken cash register. Celia needs to use mental arithmetic to calculate the amount of money customers must pay for their purchases.

Which component of working memory is able to combine information from elsewhere in working memory and from long-term memory, but is not involved in the final decision of how much Celia’s customers have to pay?

A. episodic buffer

B. central executive

C. phonological loop

D. visuo-spatial sketchpad


Question 13Marcus has just started a part-time job in a plant nursery.On his first day, he was given a list of 20 common plant names and asked to learn them. He spent some time learning this list. At the start of his next shift, his boss gave him two tasks.Task 1: Marcus was asked to write down as many of the plant names as he could remember from the original list.Marcus was then given a short break before completing Task 2.Task 2: Marcus was given a list of 50 common plant names, including the previous 20 plant names from the original list, and asked to circle the plants that were on the original list.After completing the tasks, Marcus was then given the original list again and asked to study it again. The following week he repeated the two tasks.

Which of the following statements is most likely to be correct?

A. Repeating Task 1 a week later is a more sensitive measure of retention than the original Task 1.

B. Repeating Task 2 a week later is a less sensitive measure of retention than the original Task 2.

C. Task 1 is a more sensitive measure of retention than Task 2.

D. Tasks 1 and 2 are both relearning tasks.


Suggested SolutionMarcus has just started a part-time job in a plant nursery.On his first day, he was given a list of 20 common plant names and asked to learn them. He spent some time learning this list. At the start of his next shift, his boss gave him two tasks.Task 1: Marcus was asked to write down as many of the plant names as he could remember from the original list.Marcus was then given a short break before completing Task 2.Task 2: Marcus was given a list of 50 common plant names, including the previous 20 plant names from the original list, and asked to circle the plants that were on the original list.After completing the tasks, Marcus was then given the original list again and asked to study it again. The following week he repeated the two tasks.

Which of the following statements is most likely to be correct?

A. Repeating Task 1 a week later is a more sensitive measure of retention than the original Task 1.B. Repeating Task 2 a week later is a less sensitive measure of retention than the original Task 2.C. Task 1 is a more sensitive measure of retention than Task 2.D. Tasks 1 and 2 are both relearning tasks.

Additional informationVCAA Assessment Report note:Students had difficulty understanding that a more sensitive measure of retention will be capable of registering a low intensity or strength of retention, which would be missed by a less sensitive measure.


Question 14Frank was concerned about remembering, in the correct order, all the items he had to discuss during his work presentation. He made up a short and funny story which included each key word in order and then used this to assist recall when he presented the speech.

The mnemonic device used by Frank would have assisted his memory by

A. allowing him to rehearse information in short-term memory.

B. adding state-dependent cues to the material to be learned and retrieved.

C. decreasing the amount and complexity of information to be learned and retrieved.

D. elaborating the information and enhancing its organisation in long-term memory.


Suggested SolutionFrank was concerned about remembering, in the correct order, all the items he had to discuss during his work presentation. He made up a short and funny story which included each key word in order and then used this to assist recall when he presented the speech.

The mnemonic device used by Frank would have assisted his memory by

A. allowing him to rehearse information in short-term memory.

B. adding state-dependent cues to the material to be learned and retrieved.

C. decreasing the amount and complexity of information to be learned and retrieved.

D. elaborating the information and enhancing its organisation in long-term memory.


Question 15A school principal wanted to work out which two languages should be taught at her school. The school already taught French so she wanted to choose the second language from either Italian or Chinese. She wanted to introduce a language that would not interfere with students' retention of French. The school principal knew that Italian is a more similar language to French than Chinese which is a very different language from French. She divided the Year 7 students in her school into two groups and followed the procedure set out in the table below to find out what effect the study

of Italian and Chinese may have on the students' retention of French.

a. Identify and define the type of interference being tested by Groups A and B.

b. With reference to interference theory, is the principal more likely to choose Italian or Chinese as the second language in her school, and why?

4 mark(s)


Suggested Solutiona. Group A: retroactive interference — when new information inhibits retrieval of previously learnt

material.Group B: retroactive interference — when new information inhibits retrieval of previously learnt

material.

Award 1 mark for correctly naming and defining the type of interference for Group A and 1 mark for group B.

VCAA Assessment Report note:Students needed to have a good understanding of interference theory to establish that in each case the type of interference being tested was retroactive. After identifying the type of interference, students

were not required to define it twice.

b. The principal would be most likely to choose Chinese as the second language in her school.According to the interference theory, there will be less retroactive interference between Chinese and

French as they are not similar languages.Conversely, there is likely to be more retroactive interference between French and Italian as they are

more similar.

Award 1 mark for choosing Chinese.Award 1 mark for explaining that Chinese will produce less retroactive interference with French as it

is less like French than Italian.


u3 ao s 2 memory revision 2013

Health & Medicine

longterm memory

implicit memory

explicit memory

semantic memory

sensory memory

memory abilities

main memory process

retrieval of information