Question 1

Which psychologist trained a rat to run a maze, then tried to identify the location of the memory by removing a tiny portion of the rat's brain?

Accepted Answer

Karl Lashley is known for his experiments involving rats running a maze and his attempt to locate the location of memory in the brain by removing small portions of the brain.

Question 2

The Focus on Neuroscience feature described a study in which participants memorized labels for common objects, such as "dog," that were paired with either a picture or a sound. When participants were later asked to retrieve the memory:

Accepted Answer

The study found that retrieving the memory of the labels activated a subset of the same brain areas that were associated with the original perception of the material that was memorized. This suggests that the neural patterns associated with the perception of the material were reactivated during memory retrieval. There was no evidence that the presence of sensory stimuli interfered with memory or that one type of sensory pairing (pictures or sounds) led to more reliable recall than the other.

Question 3

The Focus on Neuroscience feature described a study in which participants memorized labels for common objects, such as "dog," that were paired with either a picture or a sound. When they retrieved the memory, participants who had memorized the word dog with a picture of a dog showed a _____ level of activation in the _____ cortex.

Accepted Answer

In the study, participants who memorized the word "dog" with a picture of a dog showed a high level of activation in the visual cortex when retrieving the memory. This suggests that visual cues are more effective for memory retrieval than auditory cues. Therefore, option A is the correct answer.

Question 4

The key conflict in the "memory wars" is:

Accepted Answer

The key conflict in the "memory wars" is whether "repressed" memories of childhood abuse that are "recovered" using hypnosis, guided imagery, or other highly suggestive techniques are false memories or memories of actual experiences. This has sparked a debate within the field of psychology about the reliability of such techniques and their potential for creating false memories.

Question 5

Perceiving a picture activates areas of the _____, just as perceiving a sound activates areas of the _____.

Accepted Answer

The visual cortex is responsible for processing visual information, including images, while the auditory cortex processes auditory information, including sounds. Therefore, when we perceive a picture, it activates areas of the visual cortex, and when we perceive a sound, it activates areas of the auditory cortex.

Question 6

According to the discussion in your text, why did Karl Lashley fail to find evidence for the specific location of the engram?

Accepted Answer

Lashley studied a complex maze-running behavior that involved a complex set of interrelated memories that existed in different brain areas. Therefore, there was no single specific location for the engram.

Question 7

Which psychologist searched for the brain location of a classically conditioned eye blink response in rabbits?

Accepted Answer

Richard F. Thompson was the psychologist who searched for the brain location of a classically conditioned eye blink response in rabbits.

Question 8

Repressed memory therapy, or recovery therapy, refers to:

Accepted Answer

Repressed memory therapy, also referred to as recovery therapy, is a form of psychotherapy that involves the recall of allegedly repressed memories, usually relating to physical or sexual abuse from childhood. The goal of this therapy is to help individuals remember and then process these memories to promote healing and recovery. However, the validity and effectiveness of this therapy are still debated in the field of psychology.

Question 9

In the brain, simple memories may be _____ and complex memories may be _____.

Accepted Answer

Simple memories, such as simple associations or conditioned responses, are often localized to specific areas of the brain, such as the amygdala or hippocampus. However, more complex memories, such as memories of events and experiences, involve the activation of distributed neural networks rather than being confined to a specific area.

Question 10

To help understand how neurons change in response to the formation of a new memory, researchers have extensively studied:

Accepted Answer

The sea snail Aplysia has been extensively studied as a model organism for studying neural changes associated with memory formation. Its simple nervous system and large neurons make it a useful organism for studying neural plasticity.

Question 11

The Focus on Neuroscience feature described a study in which participants memorized labels for common objects, such as "dog," that were paired with either a picture or a sound. When they retrieved the memory, participants who had memorized the word dog with the sound of a dog barking showed a _____ level of activation in the _____ cortex.

Accepted Answer

The study paired words with either a picture or a sound, so participants who had memorized the word "dog" with the sound of a dog barking would have shown a high level of activation in the auditory cortex when retrieving the memory.

Question 12

Which of the following statements about Karl Lashley is TRUE?

Accepted Answer

Karl Lashley's research with rats led him to the conclusion that memories are distributed throughout the brain, rather than being localized in specific areas. He conducted experiments in which he removed various parts of the brain and tested the rats' ability to perform learned tasks, and found that the more complex the task, the less localized the memory for that task seemed to be.

Question 13

When you combine the research findings of Karl Lashley and Richard Thompson, the findings suggest that:

Accepted Answer

Karl Lashley's research suggested that memories are distributed throughout the brain, while Richard Thompson's research showed that simple memories may be localized in specific areas, but complex memories seem to be distributed throughout the brain. Therefore, the combination of their findings suggests that complex memories are not localized in one specific area, but rather are distributed throughout the brain.

Question 14

Research by psychologist Richard F. Thompson and his colleagues demonstrated that the:

Accepted Answer

Research by psychologist Richard F. Thompson and his colleagues demonstrated that the memory for a classically conditioned eye blink response was localized in a rabbit's cerebellum.

Question 15

Which term refers to the hypothetical brain changes associated with the formation of a long-term memory?

Accepted Answer

The term engram refers to the hypothetical brain changes associated with the formation of a long-term memory.

Question 16

In the sea snail Aplysia, the gill-withdrawal reflex employs a circuit of just:

Accepted Answer

The gill-withdrawal reflex in Aplysia uses a circuit consisting of three neurons. The sensory neuron detects a stimulus, which activates an interneuron that triggers the motor neuron to move the gill. This simple reflex circuit has been extensively studied as a model system for exploring the cellular and molecular basis of learning and memory.

Question 17

Researcher Eric Kandel:

Accepted Answer

Eric Kandel was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 2000 for his discoveries on the neuronal changes that occur when new memories are formed.

Question 18

In the 1920s, psychologist Karl Lashley:

Accepted Answer

Karl Lashley is best known for his search for the engram, which he believed was the physical location of memories in the brain. His research involved removing parts of rat brains to see if it affected their learned behaviors and memory. Although he was never able to locate the engram, his work paved the way for future research on the physical basis of memory.

Question 19

Although the concept of repressed memories is controversial, there is general agreement among psychologists that:

Accepted Answer

While the concept of repressed memories is controversial, there is general agreement among psychologists that people may experience amnesia for some of the details of a single traumatic event, but they are unlikely to repress all memories of repeated incidents of abuse. It is also recognized that memories recovered through hypnosis are not always accurate and can be influenced by suggestion. It is important to approach the topic of repressed memories with caution and skepticism.

Question 20

Guiding Karl Lashley's initial research on memory was his belief that memory:

Accepted Answer

Karl Lashley believed in the concept of localizationism, which suggests that specific functions are carried out by specific areas of the brain. Therefore, he hypothesized that memory was localized or stored in one specific brain area.

Answer: A and B are incorrect choices.
 Lashley's research did not support the idea that memory could reside outside of the brain in other organs or tissues. Additionally, while some of his early experiments suggested that memory might be distributed throughout the brain, his later work focused on finding specific brain areas that were critical for memory. Answer D is incorrect because the concept of long-term potentiation was not developed until many years after Lashley's research on memory.

Quiz 6: Section 2: Memory