MCAT Psychological Social Foundations Flashcards: 6b Forgetting Memory Disorders Plasticity

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This deck focuses on 6b Forgetting Memory Disorders Plasticity, giving you a quick way to review the definitions, rules, and examples that matter most for MCAT Psychological Social Foundations.

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Work through these flashcards in short sessions. Try to answer each prompt before flipping the card, then revisit any cards you miss until the explanation feels automatic.

Flashcard 1: What is the decay theory of forgetting?

Answer: Forgetting occurs as memory traces fade with time without use. This theory posits that unused memories naturally weaken and fade over time without interference or retrieval issues.

Flashcard 2: Which memory system is most impaired in patient H.M.-type cases?

Answer: Declarative (explicit) long-term memory formation. Hippocampal damage prevents conscious memory formation.

Flashcard 3: What is motivated forgetting (repression) in psychodynamic theory?

Answer: Unconscious blocking of anxiety-provoking memories from awareness. Freud's concept of defensive forgetting of traumatic content.

Flashcard 4: Identify the forgetting mechanism: old French vocabulary impairs learning Spanish words.

Answer: Proactive interference. Old French knowledge interferes with new Spanish learning.

Flashcard 5: What are the two classic pathological findings in Alzheimer disease?

Answer: Beta-amyloid plaques and neurofibrillary tangles (tau). Protein aggregates disrupt neural function and cause cell death.

Flashcard 6: What is proactive interference?

Answer: Old information disrupts recall of newly learned information. Prior learning interferes forward in time with new material.

Flashcard 7: What is proactive interference in forgetting?

Answer: Old learning disrupts recall of newly learned information. Earlier material interferes forward with later learning.

Flashcard 8: What is the encoding specificity principle?

Answer: Retrieval improves when encoding and retrieval contexts match. Context similarity between learning and recall enhances memory.

Flashcard 9: What memory disorder is classically caused by thiamine (vitamin $B_1$) deficiency?

Answer: Korsakoff syndrome. Chronic alcohol abuse depletes thiamine, damaging mammillary bodies.

Flashcard 10: What is motivated forgetting in psychoanalytic theory?

Answer: Unconscious repression of distressing thoughts or memories. Defense mechanism pushes threatening content from awareness.

Flashcard 11: What is the misinformation effect in eyewitness memory?

Answer: Post-event information distorts memory for the original event. Leading questions or false details contaminate original memory.

Flashcard 12: Which memory system is most impaired in patient H.M.-type anterograde amnesia?

Answer: Explicit (declarative) long-term memory formation. Hippocampal damage impairs conscious fact/event memory.

Flashcard 13: What is the recency effect, and which memory store mainly explains it?

Answer: Better recall for last items; primarily due to short-term memory. Recent items remain active in working memory buffer.

Flashcard 14: Which forgetting mechanism is described by the decay theory?

Answer: Memory traces fade over time when not used. Decay theory proposes memories weaken through disuse over time.

Flashcard 15: Which two pathological findings are most associated with Alzheimer disease?

Answer: Beta-amyloid plaques and neurofibrillary tangles (tau). Protein aggregates disrupt neural function and cause cell death.

Flashcard 16: What is the testing effect in learning and memory?

Answer: Retrieval practice improves later recall more than restudying. Active recall strengthens memory pathways better than passive review.

Flashcard 17: What is long-term potentiation (LTP) in neural plasticity?

Answer: Long-lasting increase in synaptic strength after repeated activation. Cellular mechanism underlying learning and memory formation.

Flashcard 18: What is the misinformation effect in eyewitness memory research?

Answer: Post-event information distorts memory for the original event. Leading questions or false details contaminate original memory.

Flashcard 19: Identify the memory phenomenon: better recall when internal state at retrieval matches encoding.

Answer: State-dependent memory. Mood or physiological state acts as retrieval cue.

Flashcard 20: What is the typical early cognitive symptom of Alzheimer disease?

Answer: Progressive impairment in recent episodic memory. Difficulty forming new memories while older memories remain intact.

Flashcard 21: What is context-dependent memory?

Answer: Recall improves when the retrieval environment matches the encoding context. Matching physical environments between encoding and retrieval enhances memory performance.

Flashcard 22: What is reconsolidation in memory?

Answer: Reactivated memories become labile and are stored again with updates. Retrieved memories enter a malleable state before re-storage.

Flashcard 23: What cognitive mechanism best explains the recency effect?

Answer: Last items remain in working (short-term) memory at recall. No interference from subsequent items when recall begins immediately.

Flashcard 24: What is mood-congruent memory?

Answer: Mood biases recall toward memories with matching emotional valence. Current mood facilitates recall of similarly-valenced memories.

Flashcard 25: Identify the forgetting type: old phone number makes new number hard to recall.

Answer: Proactive interference. Old information interferes forward with new learning.

Flashcard 26: What is the misinformation effect in eyewitness memory?

Answer: Post-event information alters memory for the original event. Leading questions can implant false details that become part of memory.

Flashcard 27: What is Korsakoff syndrome and what is its classic cause?

Answer: Amnestic disorder due to thiamine deficiency, often from alcoholism. Vitamin B1 deficiency damages memory circuits in chronic alcoholics.

Flashcard 28: What is confabulation in memory disorders?

Answer: Unintentional fabrication of memories to fill recall gaps. Patient believes false memories are real; common in Korsakoff's.

Flashcard 29: What is decay theory of forgetting?

Answer: Memory traces weaken over time when not accessed or rehearsed. Unused memories fade through biological degradation processes.

Flashcard 30: Which brain structure is most critical for forming new declarative memories?

Answer: Hippocampus (medial temporal lobe). Damage here causes severe anterograde amnesia, as in patient H.M.

Flashcard 31: What is Korsakoff syndrome most classically caused by?

Answer: Thiamine (vitamin $B_1$) deficiency, often due to alcoholism. Chronic alcohol depletes thiamine, damaging memory circuits.

Flashcard 32: What is Korsakoff syndrome most classically associated with?

Answer: Thiamine ($ext{B}_1$) deficiency, often due to chronic alcoholism. Vitamin deficiency damages memory circuits in chronic drinkers.

Flashcard 33: What is long-term potentiation (LTP)?

Answer: Persistent strengthening of synapses after repeated stimulation. Cellular basis of learning through enhanced synaptic transmission.

Flashcard 34: What is the key distinction between experience-expectant and experience-dependent plasticity?

Answer: Expectant: universal input; Dependent: individual learning/experience. Species-typical vs individually-variable environmental inputs.

Flashcard 35: What is the recency effect?

Answer: Enhanced recall for last items because they remain in working memory. Final items linger in short-term memory, allowing easier immediate retrieval.

Flashcard 36: Identify the memory phenomenon: better recall when retrieval context matches encoding context.

Answer: Context-dependent memory. Environmental cues present during encoding aid retrieval.

Flashcard 37: What is the tip-of-the-tongue (TOT) phenomenon?

Answer: Temporary inability to retrieve a known word or name. Feeling of knowing without successful retrieval access.

Flashcard 38: What is synaptic pruning in neural development and plasticity?

Answer: Elimination of weak synapses to increase network efficiency. Refines neural circuits by removing unnecessary connections.

Flashcard 39: What is neural plasticity?

Answer: The nervous system's capacity to change structure and function. Enables learning, memory, and recovery through synaptic reorganization.

Flashcard 40: What is proactive interference?

Answer: Older information disrupts recall of newer information. Old learning interferes forward in time with new learning.

Flashcard 41: Identify the forgetting concept: memories become less accessible over time due to lack of rehearsal.

Answer: Decay theory. Memories fade without use, like unused neural pathways weakening.

Flashcard 42: What is the recency effect attributed to in memory research?

Answer: Last items remain in working memory at time of recall. Recent items still active in short-term/working memory.

Flashcard 43: What is the difference between repression and suppression?

Answer: Repression is unconscious; suppression is conscious. Both block memories, but suppression involves conscious effort.

Flashcard 44: What is retroactive interference?

Answer: New information interferes with recalling previously learned information. Recently learned information overwrites or blocks access to older memories.

Flashcard 45: What is repression in psychodynamic theory?

Answer: Unconscious blocking of anxiety-provoking thoughts or memories. Defense mechanism prevents conscious access to threatening content.

Flashcard 46: What does the encoding specificity principle predict about retrieval?

Answer: Recall improves when retrieval cues match conditions present at encoding. Memory is best when learning and testing contexts align.

Flashcard 47: Which brain structure is most associated with forming new explicit memories?

Answer: Hippocampus (medial temporal lobe). Critical for consolidating short-term to long-term declarative memory.

Flashcard 48: What is repression in psychodynamic theory?

Answer: Defense mechanism: unconscious blocking of anxiety-provoking content. Freudian concept of motivated forgetting of trauma.

Flashcard 49: What is long-term potentiation (LTP) in synaptic plasticity?

Answer: Persistent strengthening of synapses after repeated activation. Cellular mechanism underlying learning and memory formation.

Flashcard 50: Identify the concept: a tip-of-the-tongue state with partial retrieval access.

Answer: Tip-of-the-tongue phenomenon. This state involves temporary inability to fully access known information despite partial recall.

Flashcard 51: Identify the concept: after limb loss, the somatosensory cortex reorganizes its body map.

Answer: Cortical remapping (experience-dependent neuroplasticity). Brain areas adapt function when input changes dramatically.

Flashcard 52: What is the tip-of-the-tongue phenomenon?

Answer: Temporary inability to retrieve a known word or name. Partial activation without full retrieval access.

Flashcard 53: What is interference theory of forgetting?

Answer: Forgetting due to competition between memories during retrieval. Other memories interfere with accessing the target memory.

Flashcard 54: What is confabulation in memory disorders?

Answer: Unintentional fabrication of memories to fill gaps in recall. Brain creates false memories to maintain coherent narrative despite gaps.

Flashcard 55: What is retrieval failure as a cause of forgetting?

Answer: Information is stored but cannot be accessed due to missing cues. Memory exists but lacks retrieval pathways or triggers.

Flashcard 56: Which option best defines encoding specificity principle?

Answer: Recall improves when retrieval context matches encoding context. Environmental cues from learning enhance memory retrieval.

Flashcard 57: What is confabulation?

Answer: Unintentional fabrication of memories to fill in memory gaps. Brain creates false memories to maintain coherent narrative despite gaps.

Flashcard 58: What is neurogenesis and where does it occur most notably in adults?

Answer: Creation of new neurons; notably in the hippocampal dentate gyrus. Adult brain generates new cells for learning and memory.

Flashcard 59: What is retrograde amnesia?

Answer: Loss of previously formed memories, especially near the causal event. Memories prior to the amnesia-inducing event are lost, with recent ones most affected.

Flashcard 60: What is retroactive interference?

Answer: Newer information disrupts recall of older information. New learning interferes backward in time with old memories.

Flashcard 61: What is retrieval-induced forgetting?

Answer: Practicing recall of some items suppresses related competing items. Selective practice creates competition between related memories.

Flashcard 62: What is motivated forgetting (repression) in psychodynamic theory?

Answer: Unconscious blocking of anxiety-provoking memories. Defense mechanism protecting ego from traumatic content.

Flashcard 63: What is retroactive interference in memory?

Answer: New information disrupts recall of previously learned information. Like trying to remember old phone numbers after learning new ones.

Flashcard 64: What is Alzheimer disease characterized by at the neural level?

Answer: Amyloid-$\beta$ plaques and neurofibrillary tangles (tau). Protein aggregates disrupt neural function and cause cell death.

Flashcard 65: What is the primacy effect attributed to in the serial position curve?

Answer: More rehearsal leads to better encoding into long-term memory. Early items get more rehearsal time before capacity limits.

Flashcard 66: What is proactive interference?

Answer: Old information interferes with learning or recalling new information. Prior knowledge disrupts the acquisition or recall of newer, similar material.

Flashcard 67: What is confabulation in the context of memory disorders?

Answer: Unconscious fabrication of memories to fill gaps in recall. False memories are created unintentionally to compensate for genuine recall deficits.

Flashcard 68: What brain structure is classically implicated in anterograde amnesia?

Answer: Hippocampus (medial temporal lobe). Critical for consolidating short-term to long-term memories.

Flashcard 69: What is Alzheimer disease most characteristically associated with at the neural level?

Answer: Amyloid-$\beta$ plaques and neurofibrillary tangles (tau). Protein deposits disrupt neural function and cause dementia.

Flashcard 70: What is Alzheimer disease characterized by at the neural level?

Answer: Beta-amyloid plaques and neurofibrillary tangles (tau). Plaques disrupt neural communication; tangles kill neurons.

Flashcard 71: What is confabulation as seen in Korsakoff syndrome?

Answer: Unintentional fabrication of memories to fill gaps in recall. Patients create false memories without intent to deceive.

Flashcard 72: Identify the memory distortion: incorporating misleading post-event information into recall.

Answer: Misinformation effect. False details from others contaminate original memory traces.

Flashcard 73: Which brain structure is most associated with anterograde amnesia when damaged?

Answer: Hippocampus (medial temporal lobe). Critical for consolidating new explicit memories into cortical storage.

Flashcard 74: What is Alzheimer disease, in terms of primary cognitive impairment?

Answer: Progressive neurodegeneration with prominent episodic memory loss. Neurodegenerative disease starting with hippocampal damage affecting recent memories.

Flashcard 75: What is retroactive interference?

Answer: New information disrupts recall of previously learned information. Recent learning interferes backward in time with older material.

Flashcard 76: What is the primacy effect, and which memory system mainly supports it?

Answer: Better recall for early items; mainly long-term memory encoding. Early items get more rehearsal time for LTM consolidation.

Flashcard 77: What is confabulation in memory disorders?

Answer: Unintentional fabrication of memories to fill recall gaps. Brain creates false memories without awareness of inaccuracy.

Flashcard 78: What is decay theory of forgetting?

Answer: Memory traces fade over time when not used or rehearsed. Biological degradation of memory engrams without rehearsal.

Flashcard 79: What is the decay theory of forgetting?

Answer: Memory traces fade over time when not actively used. Based on the idea that unused neural connections weaken.

Flashcard 80: What is a flashbulb memory?

Answer: Vivid, high-confidence memory for an emotional event (not always accurate). Emotional arousal enhances encoding but doesn't guarantee accuracy.

Flashcard 81: What is the serial position effect?

Answer: Better recall for early (primacy) and late (recency) list items. Middle items lack the rehearsal advantage of first or recency of last.

Flashcard 82: What is proactive interference in memory?

Answer: Old information disrupts learning or recall of new information. Prior learning interferes forward with subsequent learning.

Flashcard 83: What is neurogenesis and where is it most associated in adults?

Answer: Formation of new neurons; classically in the hippocampal dentate gyrus. Continues throughout life, supporting learning and memory.

Flashcard 84: What is cue-dependent forgetting?

Answer: Failure to retrieve due to absence of cues present during encoding. Retrieval fails when cues from the original learning context are absent.

Flashcard 85: Which memory system declines earliest in Alzheimer disease: episodic or procedural?

Answer: Episodic (explicit) memory declines earlier than procedural memory. Declarative recall of personal events is impaired first, with skills affected later.

Flashcard 86: What is source monitoring error?

Answer: Misattributing the origin of a memory (where or how it was learned). Confusing whether you read something or someone told you about it.

Flashcard 87: What is Alzheimer disease characterized by at the neural level?

Answer: Amyloid-$\beta$ plaques and neurofibrillary tangles (hyperphosphorylated tau). Protein aggregates disrupt neural function and cause cell death.

Flashcard 88: Which brain structure is most classically linked to anterograde amnesia?

Answer: Hippocampus (medial temporal lobe). Critical for transferring short-term to long-term memory.

Flashcard 89: What is the defining cognitive feature of Alzheimer disease?

Answer: Progressive decline in memory and other cognitive functions. Neurodegeneration causes memory loss before other symptoms.

Flashcard 90: What is retroactive interference in memory?

Answer: New information disrupts recall of older information. Recent learning interferes backward with previously learned material.

Flashcard 91: What is motivated forgetting in psychoanalytic theory?

Answer: Unconscious repression of anxiety-provoking memories. Defense mechanism pushes threatening content from consciousness.

Flashcard 92: What is Korsakoff syndrome most classically associated with?

Answer: Thiamine (vitamin $B_1$) deficiency, often due to alcoholism. Chronic alcohol use depletes thiamine, damaging memory circuits.

Flashcard 93: What is anterograde amnesia?

Answer: Inability to form new long-term memories after the causal event. Post-event brain damage prevents consolidation of new experiences into long-term storage.

Flashcard 94: What is the recency effect in list recall?

Answer: Enhanced recall of late items still held in working memory. Recent items remain active in short-term storage.

Flashcard 95: Which brain structure is most associated with forming new declarative memories?

Answer: Hippocampus (medial temporal lobe). Critical for consolidating short-term into long-term memories.

Flashcard 96: Which memory system is typically most impaired early in Alzheimer disease?

Answer: Episodic (declarative) memory for recent events. Hippocampal damage first affects new episodic memory formation.

Flashcard 97: What is the recency effect?

Answer: Enhanced recall for last items because they remain in working memory. Last items are still active in STM during immediate recall.

Flashcard 98: What is source monitoring error?

Answer: Misattributing the origin of a memory (source confusion). Forgetting where, when, or how information was learned.

Flashcard 99: What is the primacy effect attributed to?

Answer: Greater rehearsal leads to better encoding into long-term memory. First items get more rehearsal time before new items arrive.

Flashcard 100: What is motivated forgetting in psychoanalytic theory?

Answer: Unconscious repression of distressing memories. Defense mechanism pushing traumatic memories from consciousness.