Unit IIChapter 4-Consciousness and its variations

Chapter 6-Memory

Any rhythmic change that continues at close to a 24-hour cycle in the absence of 24-hour cues◦ body temperature◦ cortisol secretion◦ sleep and wakefulness

In the absence of time cues, the cycle period will become somewhat longer than 24 hours.◦ Where could there be an absence of cues?

Circadian Rhythm

Electroencephalogram (EEG)

Electrodes placed on the scalp provide a gross record of the electrical activity of the brain

EEG recordings are a rough index of psychological states

Sleep stage 1: brief transition stage when first falling asleep

Stages 2 through 4 (slow-wave sleep): successively deeper stages of sleep

Characterized by an increasing percentage of slow, irregular, high-amplitude delta waves

Stages of Sleep

Delta waves

Sleep stage 11 second

Sleep stage 4

Sleep stage 2

Spindlers (bursts of activity)

Upon reaching stage 4 and after about 80 to 100 minutes of total sleep time, sleep lightens, returns through stages 3 and 2

REM sleep emerges, characterized by EEG patterns that resemble beta waves of alert wakefulness◦ muscles most relaxed◦ rapid eye movements occur◦ dreams occur

Four or five sleep cycles occur in a typical night’s sleep; less time is spent in slow-wave, more is spent in REM

Stages of Sleep

Some individuals need more and some less than the typical 8 hours per night

Nonsomniacs—sleep far less than most, but do not feel tired during the day

Insomniacs—have a normal desire for sleep, but are unable to and feel tired during the day

Individual Differences in Sleep Drive

Insomnia—inability to fall asleep or stay asleep REM sleep disorder—sleeper acts out his or her

dreams Night terrors—sudden arousal from sleep and

intense fear accompanied by physiological reactions (e.g., rapid heart rate, perspiration)

Narcolepsy—overpowering urge to fall asleep that may occur while talking or standing up.◦ Narcoleptic Dog

Sleep apnea—failure to breathe when asleep

Sleep Disorders

Dreams and REM Sleep• True dream—vivid, detailed dreams consisting of sensory and motor sensations experienced during REM

• Sleep thought—lacks vivid sensory and motor sensations, is more similar to daytime thinking

• Lucid dreaming-Anyone know what this is?

•Sleepwalking dog

State of awareness Highly focused attention Increased responsiveness to suggestion

Vivid imagery Willingness to accept distortions of logic

Alteration of sensation and perception

Hypnosis

Sustained concentration that focuses attention and heightens awareness

Lowered physiological arousal◦ decreased heart rate◦ decreased BP

Predominance of alpha brain waves

Meditation

Depressants—inhibit brain activity

Opiates—pain relief and euphoria Stimulants—increase brain activity

Psychedelics—distort sensory perceptions

Psychoactive Drugs

Physical dependenceToleranceWithdrawal symptomsDrug rebound effect

Common Properties

Alcohol—CNS depressantBarbiturates—induce sleepTranquilizers—relieve anxiety

Depressants

Chemically similar to morphine and have strong pain-relieving properties

Mimic the brain’s endorphins Heroin, methadone Percodan, Demerol

Opiates

CaffeineNicotineAmphetaminesCocaine

Stimulants

Create perceptual distortionsMescalineLSDMarijuanaFlashback reactions and psychotic episodes

Psychedelics

Chapter 6-MemoryPBS-Video-start at 39:30min

Stage Model of Memory

Three Stages of Memory

Three memory stores that differ in function, capacity and duration

Long-term memory

Working orShort-term

Memory

Sensory

Input

Sensory Memory

AttentionEncoding

Retrieval

Maintenance Rehearsal

Sensory Memory

Function—holds information long enough to be processed for basic physical characteristics

Capacity—large◦ can hold many items at

once Duration—very brief

retention of images◦ .3 sec for visual info◦ 2 sec for auditory info

Sensory

InputSensoryMemory

Short Term or Working Memory

Working orShort-term

Memory

Sensory

Input

Sensory Memory

Attention

Short-Term Memory

Function—conscious processing of information◦ where information is actively worked on

Capacity—limited (holds 7+/-2 items) Duration—brief storage (about 30 seconds)

Working orShort-term

Memory

Sensory

Input

Sensory Memory

Attention

Maintenance Rehearsal

Mental or verbal repetition of information allows information to remain in working memory longer than the usual 30 seconds

Working orShort-term

Memory

Sensory

Input

Sensory Memory

Attention

Maintenance Rehearsal

Grouping small bits of information into larger units of information◦ expands working memory load

Which is easier to remember?◦ 4 8 3 7 9 2 5 1 6◦ 483 792 516

Chunking

Long-Term Memory

Once information passes from sensory to working memory, it can be encoded into long-term memory

Long-term memory

Working orShort-term

Memory

Sensory

Input

Sensory Memory

AttentionEncoding

Retrieval

Maintenance Rehearsal

Long-Term Memory Encoding—process that controls movement

from working to long-term memory store Retrieval—process that controls flow of

information from long-term to working memory store

Long-term memory

Working orShort-term

Memory

Sensory

Input

Sensory Memory

AttentionEncoding

Retrieval

Maintenance Rehearsal

Explicit memory—memory with awareness; information can be consciously recollected; also called declarative memory

Implicit memory—memory without awareness; memory that affects behavior but cannot consciously be recalled; also called non-declarative memory

Types of Long Term Memory

Explicit MemoryDeclarative or conscious memory

Memory consciously recalled or declared

Can use explicit memory to directly respond to a question

Two subtypes of explicit memory

Memory tied to your own personal experiences

Examples:◦ What month is your birthday?◦ Do you like to eat caramel apples?

Q: Why are these explicit memories? A: Because you can actively declare your

answers to these questions

Episodic Memory

Memory not tied to personal events

General facts and definitions about

the worldExamples:

◦How many tires on a car?◦What is a cloud?◦What color is a banana?

Semantic Memory

Q: Why are these explicit memories?

A: Because you can actively declare your answers

Important note: Though you may have personal experience with these items, your ability to answer does NOT depend on tying the item to your past◦ i.e., Do not have to recall the time last week when you

ate a banana to say that bananas are yellow

Semantic Memory

TOT—involves the sensation of knowing that specific information is stored in long-term memory but being unable to retrieve it

Can’t retrieve info that you absolutely know is stored in your LTM

Tip of the tongue phenomenon

Recall—test of LTM that involves retrieving memories without cues, also termed free recall

Cued recall—test of LTM that involves remembering an item of information in response to a retrieval cue

Recognition—test of LTM that involves identifying correct information from a series of possible choices.

Serial position effect—tendency to remember items at the beginning and end of a list better than items in the middle.

Measures of Retrieval

Scripts—type of schema◦Mental organization of events in time

◦Example of a classroom script: Come into class, sit down, talk to friends, bell rings, instructor begins to speak, take notes, bell rings again, leave class, etc.

Eyewitness Testimony

Recall not an exact replica of original events Recall a construction built and rebuilt from

various sources Often fit memories into existing beliefs or

schemas Schema—mental representation of an object,

scene or event◦ Example: schema of a countryside may include

green grass, hills, farms, a barn, cows, etc.

Eyewitness Testimony

Which is the real penny?

Answer

Even though you’ve seen thousands of pennies, you’ve probably never looked at one

closely to encode specific features

Encoding Failures

Retroactive Interference

When a NEW memory interferes with remembering OLD information

Example: When new phone number interferes with ability to remember old phone number

Decay Theories Memories fade

away or decay gradually if unused

Time plays critical role

Ability to retrieve info declines with time after original encoding

Average percentage of

information retained

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

100

20mins

1hr

8hrs

24hrs

2days

6days

31days

Interval between original learning of nonsense syllables and memory test

100%

Amnesia—severe memory loss Retrograde amnesia—inability to remember

past episodic information; common after head injury; need for consolidation

Anterograde amnesia—inability to form new memories; related to hippocampus damage

Memory test

Biological Basis of Memory

Memory TestYou have 60 seconds!

SOUR NICE CANDYHONEY SUGAR SODABITTER COCOA GOODCAKE TASTE HEARTTOOTH TART PIE

How many put the word SWEET down from your

list?

2nd Chance Memory TestYou have 60 seconds!

MAD WRATH FEARHAPPY HATE FIGHTRAGE HATRED TEMPERMEAN FURY CALMIRE EMOTION RAGE

How many put the word ANGER or

ANGRY down from the list?

MEMORY TEST CONCLUSION

How many of you on the first list put down the word “SWEET”, if so stand up, good job.Now on the 2nd list, how many of you put down the word “ANGER” or “ANGRY”, if so stand up, good job.

ALL OF YOU STANDING ARE 100%, POSITIVELY

?

SOUR NICE CANDY

HONEY

SUGAR SODA

BITTER

COCOA GOOD

CAKE TASTE HEART

TOOTH

TART PIE

MAD WRATH FEAR

HAPPY HATE FIGHT

RAGE HATRED TEMPER

MEAN FURY CALM

IRE EMOTION

RAGE