COGNITIVE PROCESSES (MEMORY) - Memory & Chemical Messengers

20 important questions on COGNITIVE PROCESSES (MEMORY) - Memory & Chemical Messengers

What is the behavioural measure used in the Arena task, and what are the control variables (CV)?

  • Behavioural: Spatial memory performance in the Arena task (finding the pole).
  • CV:
    • Double blind procedure.
    • Random allocation to initial condition.
    • Screen went black for 30 seconds, after learning where the pole was located on the VR Map.

Why is acetylcholine (ACh) a naturally occurring agonist?

Acetylcholine is an agonist for ACh receptor sites. It directly binds to 2 types of receptors triggering a biological response.

Describe the sample used in the study.

  • 20 healthy right handed male adults, mean age: 28 years old.
  • Small sample size.
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What design was used in the study to eliminate participant variability?

The study used a repeated measures design to eliminate the effect of participant variability. It was also counter-balanced to control for practice effect. This controls for researcher bias.

What evidence was found regarding error rates with scopolamine?

Even though participants who were injected with scopolamine had lower spatial memory performance, it was not a significantly huge difference compared to the placebo injection.

What was the aim of Antonova et al (2011)?

Antonova (2011) aimed to see if scopolamine affected hippocampal activity in the creation of spatial memory.

What did some participants express during the debriefing?

During the debriefing, participants expressed feeling stressed due to the injection of an unfamiliar drug or being in the fMRI enclosure. Stress may interfere with memory encoding.

In the Antonova (2011) study, what is the name of the antagonist and what does it do?

Name: Scopolamine. Scopolamine blocks the receptors' sites, blocking the memory of the brain.

What are the areas of uncertainty in the study?

  • Uncertainty of how strongly scopolamine blocks the receptor sites.
  • Some participants reported feeling stressed by the injection or fMRI environment.

Describe the sample and procedure used in Antonova et al (2011).

The study used a sample of twenty right handed healthy male adults. A double-blind procedure was used, and participants were randomly allocated to either Scopolamine or a placebo 90 minutes before the experiment.

In the study, what does it show the role acetylcholine in the hippocampus to be?

Acetylcholine in the hippocampus plays a key role in the encoding of spatial memories in humans.

What assumptions and biases are noted in the study?

  • Possible sampling bias: All male participants.
  • Stress from injections and fMRI could change hippocampal activation and memory encoding.
  • Limited researcher bias: well controlled by the blind design.

What is the issue with the sample size in this study?

The sample size was small. Results need replication to decide if they are reliable. A small sample size affects the reliability of the study's findings.

What task did participants perform in the Antonova et al (2011) study?

Participants performed the Arena task in a virtual reality game, navigating to a pole. The screen went blank for 30 seconds, and they rehearsed how to reach the pole in the arena.

What is spatial memory?

Cognitive system that retrieves and stores information based on your environment (surroundings), navigate to locations and remember where objects are located. Operates both in short term and long term memory.

What were the key results of the Antonova et al (2011) study?

Participants injected with scopolamine showed a significant reduction in hippocampal activation compared to a placebo. High concentration of acetylcholine receptor sites in the hippocampus was noted.

What is synaptic transmission?

Synaptic transmission is the process where neurons communicate by passing signals across a microscopic gap called a synapse. Neurotransmitters are released into the synaptic gap to assist in the transfer.

What is the research methodology in Antonova et al.'s (2011) study?

Laboratory experiment, repeated measures design (each participant did both scopolamine and placebo conditions, separated by 3-4 weeks). IV: Type of injection (Scopolamine vs Placebo). DV: Biological: Level of hippocampal activation measured by fMRI during the Arena task.

What was the conclusion about the scopolamine group's error rate in Antonova et al (2011)?

Although there was a higher rate of error in the scopolamine group, it was not a significant difference. The hippocampus activity difference was significant, as it showed that hippocampus was working less under the influence of scopolamine.

What 2 effects can neurotransmitters have on the neuron?

Excitatory neurotransmitters allow the impulse to cross the synapse, producing stimulating effects. Inhibitory neurotransmitters stop the impulse, producing calming effects on the brain.

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