The Literature of the Americas II Test Flashcard

The Literature of the Americas II Test

To summarise the Multi Store Memory Model Essays - Memory

To summarise the Multi Store Memory Model Essays - Memory To summarise the Multi Store Memory Model: The Multi Store memory model is a structural model composing of 3 completely separate memory stores where information passes across in a linear way. The 3 stores are: The Sensory memory store The Short-term memory store The Long-term memory store Each have their own unique characteristics. The Sensory Memory receives information from the environmental stimuli through sight, hearing, touch, taste and smell however this is usually ignored for the most part. If this information is given Attention then it begins to pass into the short-term memory store. The Short-term memory store has a capacity of 7 +/- 2 items and a duration of up to 18 seconds with information encoding being auditory. Information is prone to decay and forgetting or displacement if new information arrives. If rehearsed deep enough through elaborate or maintenance rehearsal, information then transfers over to the Long-term memory store which has unlimited duration and capacity and information is encoded semantically. Here information can be recalled through retrieval at a later stage once processed. Evaluating the working memory model The working memory model (Baddeley & Hitch, 1974) Replaces the unitary short term memory concept of the multi-store model Separate processing resources for auditory and visual short term memory Explains the memory deficit caused by KF's brain damage The working memory model has many strengths over the multi-store model. It describes short term memory as a collection of active processing mechanisms that work in two modalities (verbal and visual) rather than a single store that simply rehearses verbal information. This allows it to explain memory function in patients with impairments to one component of working memory but with normal function in the other components, such as KF. There is considerable research evidence for the existence of the individual components of working memory (see section above). The major weakness of the working memory model is the central executive which, ironically, is its most important component. There is relatively little research evidence for its existence and it is by its nature very hard to directly investigate, although some recent research into patients with Alzheimers disease (e.g. Baddeley et al, 1991) has identified how an impaired central executive may affect memory function. The problem with researching the central executive is that it cannot itself be measured directly, and instead its function has to be inferred from performance at verbal and visual tasks. When we want to measure the functioning of a component we give it a task designed to reduce its performance, such as occupying the phonological loop with an articulatory suppression task. If participants are able to perform the task then researchers conclude that the central executive is working properly, but if they perform the task poorly then they conclude that the phonological loop is impaired. In other words it is impossible to design a task that effectively tests the central executive without also affecting its slave systems, and so the central executive may never be adequately investigated and it will always remain a concept with limited support - Richardson (1984) calls this the circular argument.

Human Digestion Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Human Digestion - Essay Example The wall of the gastrointestinal tract (GIT) is composed of muscular layers which allow two types of movements: the mixing movements and the propelling movements. Mixing movements are found in small tracts of the GIT and allow rhythmic contraction of the wall while the propulsive movements are wavelike and are also called peristalsis, pushing the mass of food into the next part of the GIT (Boland, Golding, & Singh, 2014). Mouth is the first place of food digestion and breaks food into smaller protions. Saliva also contains the enzyme salivary amylase which breaks the food starch into smaller molecules. In the oral cavity, lingual lipase is also secreted which has a very small impact on fat digestion. Saliva mixes with the food adding mucus to it forming the food bolus. The food bolus is transferred into the esophagus, which propels the bolus through persitaltic movements into the stomach. The stomach produces hydrochloric acid which is important to kill several pathogenic organisms in the food and also aids in protein digestion by converting pepsingen into pepsin. Pepsin breaks the protein into smaller chains so that they can be absorbed. Gastrin is also a part of the stomach secretions and aids in stmach motility and also stimulates the secretion of other gastric secretions. Intrinsic factor is key component in the absorption of vitamin B12, which basically ocurrs in the small intestine, terminal il leum. Without intrinsic factor, absorbtion of vitmain B12 will not be possible (Insel, Ross, McMahon, & Bernstein, 2014). Most of the digestion in the small intestine occurs in the duodenum which receives the secretions from the gall bladder, pancreas and also from the intrinsic duodenum glands. Pancreas secretes major enzymes for the digestion of fats, carbohydrates and proteins. Pancreas also secretes bicarbonate secretions to aid in digestion. The presence of bile