Brain And Behavior Psychology Essay Questions On Learning

Brain And Behavior Psychology Essay Questions On Learning And Memorya

Brain and Behavior Psychology Essay Questions on Learning and Memory. APA Format/ 2 full pages/Proper Grammar and Puncuation/References cited throughout whole paper .. Must use Garrett, B. (2015). Brain and Behavior: An Introduction to Biological Psychology, (4th ed.). Los Angeles: Sage. as a required reference Other references you can use our as follows: Briefly explain how you study for this class.

What activities do you engage in to learn the material? How much time per week do you devote to reading the assigned chapters? How frequently do you review the week's material before moving on to the next week? Is your pattern of studying for this class similar to or different from how you study for other classes? Explain.

You have read that the process known as long-term potentiation is a likely phenomenon underlying learning. As you study material for this class, what is happening to the neural cells involved in processing the information? (In other words, explain the process of long-term potentiation.) Based on the material in the chapter, what brain areas are involved in your initial processing of this information? (Keep in mind that this involves declarative memory.) Once you have learned the material, you are required to retrieve it for a test, or to complete an assignment. What brain areas are involved in this process? Is the information likely to have been consolidated into long-term memory? Explain your answer.

Assume that one year from now, you are asked to give a talk at your job about what happens in the brain when we learn and remember information. Assuming you can still recall the information, will it be stored in the same location that it is now? Explain. Assume that you are unable to recall the information clearly. Why?

What has happened to the memory? Considering what you now know about the biological basis of learning and memory, how might you enhance your short- and long-term retention and retrieval of the information you are learning in this course? Answer all questions in Red... Follow all instuctions.. Use required Reference Must be completed by Sunday 03/22/15 5 pm Central Standard Time US (No excuses)

Paper For Above instruction

The processes of learning and memory are fundamental to understanding how the brain encodes, stores, and retrieves information. In this essay, I will explore my personal study methods, delve into the neurobiological mechanisms underlying learning—particularly long-term potentiation—and consider how these processes influence memory retention and recall over time.

Regarding my study habits for this course, I dedicate approximately five hours weekly to reading the assigned chapters. My approach involves actively engaging with the material through note-taking, highlighting key concepts, and creating mental associations to facilitate deeper understanding. I review each week’s content multiple times before progressing to the next module, reinforcing my memory. This pattern is consistent with my study strategies for other classes, emphasizing reinforcement and active engagement, which are supported by cognitive theories of learning (Garrett, 2015).

The concept of long-term potentiation (LTP) offers a compelling biological explanation for how learning occurs at the cellular level. LTP involves a persistent strengthening of synapses based on recent patterns of activity, which enhances the efficiency of synaptic transmission (Garrett, 2015). When studying, neural cells involved in processing information undergo repeated stimulation, leading to increased neurotransmitter release and receptor sensitivity in post-synaptic neurons. This enhanced synaptic efficacy solidifies the neural pathways associated with learned material, making future retrieval more efficient.

Initially, brain areas such as the hippocampus are predominantly involved in processing declarative memories—the conscious recollection of facts and events (Garrett, 2015). The hippocampus acts as a temporary storage site before information consolidates into the neocortex for long-term storage. When retrieving information, the prefrontal cortex and other neocortical regions become active, coordinating the recall process. This transfer and retrieval indicate that learning involves multiple brain areas working in concert, and consolidation into long-term memory depends on repeated activation and reinforcement of these neural pathways.

If asked a year from now to present on how the brain learns and remembers, I believe that much of the learned information will still be stored within the same neural circuits, primarily in the hippocampus and neocortical areas that have undergone repeated activation. However, the precision of recall might decline if these circuits are not regularly activated. If I cannot recall the information clearly, it suggests that the neural pathways have weakened or that the memory traces have decayed, a process consistent with the forgetting curve described by Ebbinghaus (Garrett, 2015).

To enhance my retention and retrieval, I can employ strategies such as spaced repetition, which strengthens synaptic connections over time, and elaborative rehearsal, which creates richer memory associations. Additionally, engaging in retrieval practice, such as self-testing and teaching others, reinforces memories by reactivating neural pathways. Sleep also plays a vital role in memory consolidation, allowing the brain to process and organize learned information effectively (Walker & Stickgold, 2010). These strategies, grounded in neurobiological principles, can optimize both short-term and long-term memory performance.

References

• Garrett, B. (2015). Brain and Behavior: An Introduction to Biological Psychology (4th ed.). Los Angeles: Sage.
• Ebbinghaus, H. (1885). Memory: A contribution to experimental psychology.
• Walker, M. P., & Stickgold, R. (2010). Overnight alchemy: Sleep-dependent memory evolution. Nature Reviews Neuroscience, 11(3), 218-219.
• Lisman, J. E., & Jensen, O. (2013). The theta-gamma neural code. Neuron, 77(2), 220-233.
• McGaugh, J. L. (2000). Making lasting memories: Brain systems that support memory. Annual Review of Psychology, 51, 677–704.
• Diekelmann, S., & Born, J. (2010). The memory function of sleep. Nature Reviews Neuroscience, 11(2), 114–126.
• Squire, L. R., & Zola, S. M. (1996). Structure and functions of the hippocampal memory system. Annual Review of Psychology, 47, 49–79.
• Gazzaniga, M. S., Ivry, R. B., & Mangun, G. R. (2013). Cognitive Neuroscience: The Biology of the Mind (4th ed.). W.W. Norton & Company.
• Tonegawa, S., et al. (2015). Memory formation and retrieval mechanisms. Neuron, 87(1), 77-92.
• Kandel, E. R., Schwartz, J. H., & Jessell, T. M. (2013). Principles of Neural Science (5th ed.). McGraw-Hill.