Topical Blog Week #6 (Due Wednesday)

I chose to look further into working memory. As I was reading about some of the infromation I came across, I decided to further narrow my search to working memory in learning disabilities. I initially chose working memory because I was interested in how it worked and how it could be improved to further enhance our lives. As I came across information regarding people with learning disabilities this caught my interest even more so since I work with people with severe learning disabilities. This topic relates to the chapter because a good chunk of it was spent discussing working memory, and all of it was spent discussing short-term memory. I decided to look into how it works in and affects a specific population.

As is likely easily assumed, people with learning disabilities suffer from a poorer working memory as a part of their symptoms. For example, individuals with Down Syndrome usually can only retain up to 3 or 4 pieces of information whereas the average person can retain around 7 pieces. Because working memory helps you with your everyday tasks, such as knowing why you walked into a room or knowing how to read, if your working memory is inhibited many areas in your life could be hindered.

While people with mental disabilities such as Down Syndrome obviously have learning disabilities, children and adults without mental disabilities can have learning disabilites as well. These can be recognized by actions such as forgetting how to complete an activity even after being instructed on the steps, having trouble completing activities in general, day dreaming, mixing up material, and other similar actions. Thankfully however, there have been studies done testing various solutions to help people improve their working memory and several of these seem to have potential.

As with a muscle, the more you work and exercise your working memory and push it to the limit, the better the individual’s chance at being able to improve the capacity of their working memory. Playing a musical instrument has been found to be one powerful way for individuals to improve and expand their working memory. Because this activity requires a lot of focus and attention, this works the working memory and helps it to grow. Teaching people with poor working memory how to read also has seemed to be successful in some scenarios. There was research done of people with Down Syndrome where the control group was taught how to read. If their learning was implemented consistently and the proper attention was giving to teaching them as best as they could be, this seemed to improve their working memory. Where, as mentioned earlier, individuals with Down Syndrome had a smaller storage capacity, those in the research who learned how to read had a greater storage capacity afterwards.

I was glad to learn that there have been some successful findings to help those with learning disabilites. These disabilities can be great hindrances to people and affect their quality of life. It’s great there are ways we can try to help them and their lives can be improved.

http://cirrie.buffalo.edu/encyclopedia/en/article/276/
I chose this link because part of it discussed specifically how working memory affects people with Down Syndrome. I’m particularly interested in this because one of the girls I work with has Down Syndrome. It contributed to my post through helping me to understand how working memory is hindered in them and some ways that they can be helped.

http://www.ncld.org/types-learning-disabilities/executive-function-disorders/what-is-working-memory-why-does-matter?start=1
I liked this link because it discussed learning disabilities in general, not necessarily in people with mental disabilities. It discussed how problems with working memory can be recognized and contributed to my post in this way.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PA9HpItFIZo
I liked this video because it talked about a couple specific scenarios of how we use working memory and how some people struggle with it. The video also suggested a potential way to help improve their working memory, and these pieces of information all helped contribute to my post and tie into information I gathered from other sites.

Topical Blog Chapter 5

My topic is on working memory. I specifically looked at the components of working memory such as the phonological loop and visuospatial sketchpad. When reading chapter 5, I thought working memory was very interesting and there were many components to it and how our short-term memory works. Therefore, I decided to look deeper into the concept. Working memory is a broad concept, but I chose to look at the components of working memory so I could get a better understanding of the model.

The working memory model looks at how we process old and new information. With the working memory model, our brain is able to hold and manipulate information given to us as we perform cognitive tasks. Our brain is able to process how to complete a task while storing other information at the same time. Therefore, our textbook discusses how our brain is always working and combining new information with old information. With the working memory model there are three main components, the phonological loop, visuospatial sketchpad, and the episodic buffer. The central executive is a larger component that maintains these three smaller components. Our verbal information is tracked by the phonological loop while our visual and spatial information is controlled by the visuospatial sketchpad. Then, the episodic buffer takes the information from the first two components and combines them into the central executive. Overall, the central executive coordinates all the gathered information and helps us complete cognitive tasks.

With the systems of the working memory, we are able to retain information from our past, recall items or words that we are briefly exposed to, support new knowledge gained, solve problems, and reach goals. The phonological loop and visuospatial sketchpad maintain memories that overlap involving speech and images or actions. However, without the central executive, there would be no regulation of the working memory model. The central executive helps us to switch our attention or focus on one thing.

Alan Baddeley introduced the working memory in 1974 in order to provide a model of short-term memory. The phonological loop and visuospatial sketchpad act as short-term storage systems whereas the central executive is more to coordinate the information rather than to store it. It was not until late that Baddeley added the episodic buffer to the model to help combine the information given to the central executive.

When individuals try to carry out multiple tasks at the same time that require the use from the some perceptual domain, it is difficult as performance may decline. Performance improves when the tasks are performed individually. This is due to our phonological loop and visuospatial sketchpad. The central executive, on the other hand, helps our mind to shift between tasks.

Overall, it can be a very difficult task to keep things straight in our mind. With the working memory model, the central executive operates by selecting what deserves attention and what strategies to use to deal with problems coming from the phonological loop and visuospatial sketchpad. However, there is very little evidence of the capacity the central executive can hold and the working memory model seems to only involve short-term memory rather than more comprehensive memories.

http://homepage.psy.utexas.edu/HomePage/Class/Psy355D/WorkingMemory.pdf
This URL helped to explain the components of the working memory at a deeper level. The website provided how each of the components relate to one another and impact one another.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baddeley's_model_of_working_memory
This URL provided information on Alan Baddeley. The website also explained how the working memory is connected to our short-term memory. The episodic buffer was explained well with this website and there was a breakdown of how each component worked together to create the working memory model.
http://www.simplypsychology.org/working%20memory.html
This URL provided great detail on the central executive and how it operates to select certain information. The website also did a great job explaining the strengths and weaknesses of the working memory model.

I found the part of the text that discussed the phonological loop to be really interesting. I think if we could really master how our memory works, things like taking tests or remembering your To-Do list would become much easier. The text talked about how time is an important factor in how many words we are able to remember. The longer the words, the less we’ll remember because the phonological loop will be longer. Memory has always been interesting to me but I have never learned about it in depth. This section really caught my attention because it goes into more detail about the studies that have been done and the information that they found by doing those studies.

The phonological loop has two parts: the phonological store or inner ear, which holds information from spoken words for 1-2 seconds and is linked to speech perception and the articulatory control process or inner voice, which is used to rehearse and then store any verbal information that is linked to speech production from the phonological store. The shorter the phonological loop the easier it is for us to remember. Once the list of things to remember becomes too long we begin to forget some because of the time it takes to say them all. Our short-term memory works in a way that if we don’t keep repeating something or thinking about it, we will forget it. Our brain decides what is important. Many of the studies that have been done are on word length. The longer words are, the harder it is going to be to remember all of them. This is because our brain produces patterns and our phonological loop isn’t that long. The longer the word, the longer our loop and the less we remember. Studies have found that with words that have more syllables cause about 50% more errors in our recall memory. They also took things a step further and gave people a list of numbers in English, Italian, and Hebrew. The more foreign the language, the less people were able to recall. The Chinese have the best recall because of their words they have a larger digit span. This also helps them at being just a little better at mathematics because of their language. We need verbalization to get the words or list into our working memory. If we are shown a list of words but are told to say “blah, blah, blah” as they are shown to us, we will have a much harder time remembering because we weren’t able to repeat them to ourselves. If the words are given to us auditorally we have a much better chance of remembering at least some of them because there is a connection between our ears and our speech.

One source I found talked about how our brains react when we are introduced to someone and told their name. If someone just tells us their name we hold it in our sensory memory for about 2-3 seconds. If you think about their name again that memory can be transferred to primary or secondary memory. The name can be stored here anywhere from 5-30 seconds depending on if it gets interrupted by new incoming memories. It works to incorporate the new person’s name in your speech so that it is refreshed in your memory and it gives your brain a chance to associate it with something. Once you can make a good association and give your brain a chance to store the name, it should be in your long term memory. In order for written words to enter the phonological loop they must be spoken. It is really interesting to learn about something you have always kind of known but never really given name. I have always been aware that if I want to remember a phone number I’m going to need to continuously repeat it until I have a chance to write it down or dial the phone. That is in large part due to me attempting to remember 10 digits. Now if it’s a phone number with an area code that I’m familiar with the task becomes much easier because I only have to remember 7 numbers due to the first three already being a pattern and memory in my brain. The phonological loop is really interesting and is just one small part of our complex memory capabilities.

Alan Baddeley: Introduction of the Phonological Loop
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2zF15C3vnIw
This short video gave a good description of what the phonological loop can do and how they have researched it to understand what they know about it today.

Phonological Loop
http://www.jaredreser.com/Background/Psychology/SenandPer/PhonologicalLoop.html
This source gave good insight on research and studies that have been done, pertaining to the phonological loop and its functions.

Working Memory
http://www.simplypsychology.org/working%20memory.html
This source gave me a better idea of how the phonological loop works itself and the different parts of the phonological loop.

Terminology: phonological loop, functions, articulatory control process, phonological store, primary, secondary, sensory, digit span, associate, patterns

1a) State what your topic is.
Neural mechanisms associated with memory.
1b) Discuss how the topic relates to the chapter.
The chapter discussed memory and the brain, but didn't really touch on how we think memories are formed in the brain.
1c) Discuss why you are interested in it.
This interests me, because I would like to try to understand cognitive processes as they exist at the neuronal level.

2)
Recently, a video was released from the Albert Einstein College of Medicine that had a pretty sizable impact on the community of cognitive science. The video in question shows what is believed to be the formation of memory, in real time. Researchers fluorescently tagged mRNA molecules that code for beta-actin protein in a mouse brain. This doesn't mean much if you don't know what role mRNA plays in the formation of memories, so I had to do some supplemental research. Researchers found that inhibitors of transcription and translation block certain types of memory formation. Further research led to the finding that learning and memory, at least in the form of long term potentiation, require the synthesis of new proteins. RNA trafficking serves as one way protein synthesis can be regulated. Now that we know a little about how RNA plays a role in memory formation, we can jump back to the video. The video showed these beta-actin mRNA molecules form in the nuclei of the mouse brain, after researchers stimulated the mouse's hippocampus (which, as we already know, is the brain structure responsible for the formation of memories).These mRNA molecules then traveled through the dendrites of the neuron. The beta-actin protein is responsible for the formation of memories, in that the buildup of it alters the shape of the dendritic spines, strengthening the synapse. So strengthening the synapse for ease of future access strengthens memories and commits them to LTM, but where does the specific information about the memory being stored, and is it being stored as a chemical or electrical signal, or is it just in the very intricate pattern of neuron communications? These are some of the questions that arose in my mind, that I sadly could not find answers for. One answer in science can always lead to a multitude of new questions.

Some more supplemental knowledge at least helps to give a fuller view of memory and neurons, this specific research involves rats rather than mice. Simulating classic maze experiments, researchers allowed a rat to run along and explore a maze, except this rat had a tiny microscope on his head that allowed the researchers to track his (or her, the article did not specify) neural activity. They found certain neurons become active at certain areas of this maze and thus settled on referring to them as place neurons. As the rat explored more, different neurons lit up at different areas, but stayed consistent for their area. We know that humans have the PPA (parahippocampal place area) that works like the FFA (fusiform face area) in detecting certain areas. Similarly, these place neurons in the rat brain seem to recognize different areas. The interesting part when it comes to memory, is that these neurons didn't all fire initially, they were sort of determined as the rat went along. Although the researchers did not monitor the mRNA molecules inside the rat's brain, they did see learning, and the formation of memory (in the form of place maps) at the neuronal level of this rats brain. Knowing how these neurons can be specified for particular areas of the brain allows for several inferences when taking into account the findings from the Einstein College. They are however, still just inferences. Much more is still to be learned about the complex mysteries of memories, and I can't wait to read about all of the latest findings as they come out.

3)
https://www.einstein.yu.edu/news/releases/968/watching-molecules-morph-into-memories/
This link shows the video of the beta-actin mRNA molecules in the mouse brain.
http://knowingneurons.com/2013/04/10/forming-memories-one-neuron-at-a-time/
This link talks about place neurons in the brain of a rat.
http://www.livescience.com/32798-how-are-memories-stored-in-the-brain.html
This links talks about the basic overview of how memories are stored in the brain.
http://www.umbc.edu/bioclass/biol414/wiki/index.php?page=Role_of_mRNA_Transport_in_Learning
This link talks a bit about how mRNA has been found to play a role in the consolidation of memories.

1. I chose to research dysexecutive syndrome which is a disease related to the central executive. This disease is also known as frontal lobe syndrome because damage to this area commonly brings about the disease. It was found that other areas were also effected by this disease and so it was renamed after the central executive. From the reading we know that the central executive is responsible for directing attention, deciding what information should be taken in and where it should go, as well as communicating back and forth with long term memory. The symptoms of this disease all seem to connect with the functions that the central executive help to perform, hence why the disease was name after it. I wanted to learn more about this disease because it can help to better understand all that the central executive does and is a part of.

2. Dysexecutive syndrome occurs due to damage done in the brain. There is not one particular thing or event that brings on this disease, but rather a number of different possibilities that can cause damage to the brain. The most common and predominant cases of dysexecutive syndrome occur after damage is done to the frontal lobe, and more specifically the central executive, but it has been shown that the syndrome can come about with damage to other areas of the brain as well. Things such as central nervous system infections, neurodegenerative diseases, and traumatic brain injury can all lead to the development of this disease. Many of the cases of dysexecutive syndrome are first diagnosed during behavioral assessment and then confirmed with cognitive assessment and images of the brain. This is usually because the behavioral symptoms are those that are first noticed.

The symptoms of Dysexecutive syndrome are generally placed into three categories; behavioral symptoms, cognitive symptoms, and emotional symptoms. The symptoms of this disease tend to co-occur together not just within the categories, but across categories as well. Many people experience a number of the different symptoms, but they do not all have to have every symptom possible. The cognitive symptoms all seem to be related to the functions that the central executive plays a role in, which gives evidence to the idea that the loss of the central executive is a main factor in the development of this disease. One's ability to plan and reason is one of the cognitive symptoms of dysexecutive syndrome. Another cognitive symptom include the inability to transfer knowledge from long term memory about previous events to present events and incoming stimuli. These cognitive symptoms many time lead to a number of the different possible behavioral symptoms. People with this disorder tend to have a lot of social problems because they are unable to use their higher level cognitive functions to follow social norms. They also lose their ability to judge and interpret information from others which makes social situations more difficult as well. Patients may also have a hard time keeping their attention focused do to the impairment of the attention process. Many times people also suffer from what is known as utilization behavior. This is when people use objects that are in front of them whenever they are put in front of them, even if it is not socially appropriate. They are able to use the objects correctly, but unable to reason when and when not they should be using them. The emotional symptoms also go along with the lost cognitive abilities from this disease. People with dysexecutive syndrome many times have trouble both expressing their emotions in an appropriate manner and an appropriate time as well as interpreting others emotions.

Research in dysexecutive syndrome has not yet developed a cure for this disease, but there are therapies and way to alternate lives of those that suffer from this disease that help them to cope. One of the major ways of helping people deal with this disease is using behavioral therapy. It is recommended that those with this disease have additional structure added to their lives so that they are not constantly dealing with new situations in which it is hard for them to deal with. Those close to people with dysexecutive syndrome are also usually taught different coping strategies for dealing with behaviors and expression or emotions from their loved ones so that they can get through each situation the best way possible and so that they understand why their loved one is acting in the way that they do.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dysexecutive_syndrome
This website explained the different symptoms of dysexecutive syndrome. It gave a brief explanation of how the disease occurs as well.

http://www.brighamandwomens.org/research/depts/neurology/images/daffner_searl_handbook%20of%20clinical%20neurology.pdf
This website explained ways that this syndrome is assed and treated. It also gave more detail to how the disease comes about.

http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=3&ved=0CDkQFjAC&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.researchgate.net%2Fpublication%2F10950514_Frontal_syndrome_and_disorders_of_executive_functions%2Ffile%2Fd912f51363ae6917ec.pdf&ei=2UsFU6DwL4blyQHTl4GwDg&usg=AFQjCNGiBTsZQhK4On_eGmQIi2AzlAlCRg
This website gave more detail about the symptoms of dysexecutive syndrome. It also discussed how the disease affects everyday lives of those who have it and ways that they cope with it.

1.
a. My topic this week is to me an interesting one, otherwise why would I say anything about it? Now, I figured with all the things that we are learning about we have to figure out some things that change the way that we memorize things. Usually we remember the first and the last things that we are learning about in class or whatever we are learning about. Yet, with the von Restorff effect it means that there are things that stick out that can be remembered. So this week I want to talk about the von Restorff effect.
b. This chapter is all about memory and being able to recall things in a list or in things that are being said in class. Being able to remember things through the whole list or class is a good thing so that you can remember the important things is good.
c. I like this topic because of how it changes the look on the primacy-recency effect by using the unlike information rather than that of information that goes along with all of the rest. Information is key to remember, but being able to remember it when you need to is something that everyone needs to do.
2. The von Restorff effect is where something “sticks out like a sore thumb” from the rest of the things that are around it. So instead of remembering the first few things on a list you’re going to remember the odd things in the information.
Hedwig von Restorff was a child pediatrician and a psychiatrist that discovered and named the von Restorff effect. It is also called the isolation effect or sometimes referred to as distinctive encoding. This is an effect that shows up during some daily life. It is seen in the song “one of these things is not like the other,” and the Dr. Seuss books, which educate people every day. When it refers to the song it is making you find out what is different in the items that you are looking at. This is finding the von Restorff effect. Then when it comes to the Dr. Seuss books, not only are they entertaining and educational they are named odd things, have interesting pictures that are not normally seen in books. The made up words that Dr. Seuss used in his works were oddities. There are things about how he made different as the book world goes.
Then if you are making a list for getting things at the store so you know what you are getting. Soon enough you get bored and change the normal print style to pretty cursive, for an item. Then in a rush because you have to do more than shopping in your little amount of time left in the day. But what you fail to realize is your list is on the dining room table. As you go to the store you realize that you are now missing your list and don’t remember anything at all that was on your list. Then you remember that one thing that you wrote in cursive because it was different from all the others.
3. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Von_Restorff_effect --- This cite gave me history on von Restorff
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sct7oUNthas --- this video gave me great information on the von Restorff effect and how it works in this world and some good examples
http://changingminds.org/explanations/memory/von_restorff.htm --- this is another example of good information and new ways to create the von Restorff effect
http://disenthrall.co/the-von-restorff-effect/ --- some good information on the effect
https://www.ida.liu.se/~729G19/projektrapporter/rapporter-07/grupp2.pdf --- great pdf of the history and other like effects
http://humanmemory2007.wikispaces.com/Von+Restorff+Effect --- interesting information on the effect

This week I decided to look into Alzheimer's Disease. This relates to our chapter on memory because people with Alzheimer's lose their memory as that part of their brain is eaten away by the disease. This topic interests me/relates back to me because my grandma had Alzheimer's Disease.

Alzheimer's Disease is the most common form of dementia and accounts for 50-80% of dementia cases. It normally affects people who are 65 or older, but people as young as 40 can be diagnosed with early onset Alzheimer's. Alzheimer's is a progressive disease, with memory loss that is mild at first, but progresses to a point where the patient is unable to hold a conversation. Early symptoms of Alzheimer's are often mistaken for nature memory loss that occurs with aging or stress related.

Alzheimer's is usually diagnosed through tests that determine behavior and thinking abilities, as well as a brain scan. Brain tissue is needed for a definitive diagnoses and is normally only done after the death of the patient. The life span of a person diagnosed with Alzheimer's is usually another 8 years. There are medications that can slow the progression of Alzheimer's, but no cures have been found yet.

While genetics are not thought to be the determining factor in Alzheimer's, it does appear that between 40 and 80% of people with Alzheimer's have a specific allele. This allele increases the risk of Alzheimer's by 3 times in heterozygotes and by 15 times when it is in homozygotes. Genome studies have turned up 13 genes associated with Alzheimer's disease.

Most medication for Alzheimer's disease is based on the cholingeric hypothesis. This theory states that Alzheimer's is based on the reduced production of acetylcholine, a neurotransmitter. This theory does not have widespread support, however, since the medications based on this theory have not cured Alzheimer's.

Another theory for Alzheimer's is the amyloid hypothesis. This says that the beta amyloid deposits are the main cause of the disease. The location for the amyloid gene is on chromosome 21. Support for this theory comes from the fact that people with Down Syndrome have an extra copy of chromosome 21 and tend to show symptoms of Alzheimer's by age 40.

There are many other theories behind Alzheimer's disease, but so far no real cause has been found.

http://www.alz.org/alzheimers_disease_what_is_alzheimers.asp
This site gave me basic information on Alzheimer's

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alzheimer%27s_disease
This site told me about the different hypotheses

http://www.medicinenet.com/alzheimers_disease_causes_stages_and_symptoms/page2.htm#who_develops_alzheimers_disease
This site told me about the progression of Alzheimer's

Chapter 5 Topical Blog

Everyone stores memories differently. You have to work to store things into your short term memory. There are different techniques to get these memories stored. When I have to remember things, it helps me to imagine them. I learn best by seeing pictures or doing hands-on activities. I am in a college course right now called Memory and Language. We are currently learning about memory in that course as well. We did an activity where the professor listed of 8 random items. When he was finished reading the items off, we were asked to write down as many as we could remember. I, luckily, remembered all 8. There were others that did much worse than I did. We all discussed the method that we used to successfully store these items into our short term memory. I used imagery. Like I said earlier, I remember things best if I can repeatedly see them in my head. There were others who used different methods. I want to do some research on the different methods. I also want to know which methods work best, and why people prefer certain methods of remembering things.

Chapter 5 is all about short term memory. The chapter is also about how we store memories. I am choosing to do more research on the different methods people use to store memories and which methods are better than others. The way that I store memories the best is by visualizing things that go along with them. I found on a website that a lot of people find visualization the easiest way to remember things. When we did our memory activity in my class, I used visualization. The first word was garbage on our list of words to remember. I instantly visualized my kitchen. The items on the list after that, I placed in certain spots in the kitchen. This was easier for me to later recall the items on the list. The example that the website gave was for remembering people. When you try to remember a person’s name, you should think about a defining characteristic about that person. Say that you meet someone and his name is John. You later notice that John has really large ears. From then on, you will remember make that association and it will be easier for you to remember his name.

The next thing that works the best is to write things over and over again if you want to remember them. If you are writing things down over and over, you are actively remembering them and not passively remembering them. I think of this when I am reading information. There are times when I read almost an entire paragraph and I realize that I am not retaining any of it. When you write things down, you have to retrieve them from your short term memory and they will eventually end up in your long term memory.

I also found that the better our notes are, the more we remember. This makes sense. If you write things down in more detail, you will be more likely to remember them. I’ve written things down quickly before, and it was harder for me to later recall those things. If you give yourself the time to really soak in the things you are writing down, you will be able to remember them better at a later date. You have to actively think about what you are writing and it will stick. I have been to certain classes where the professor speaks so fast, that I can barely write everything down. When I leave the class, I can barely remember what we talked about 10 minutes ago.

The 3rd website that I looked at contained the best information. The last website I looked at talked about 4 different methods to remember things. The first was auditory. If you are an auditory learner – this means that you need to listen to things in order to store them in your memory. A person who uses this type of memory would be able to retain things just by hearing them spoken aloud. The second method is visualization. This means that the person needs to see things in order to remember them. These people learn best by reading things. The things they are good at reading can range from words on paper, to someone’s body language. The third type is hand-on. People who learn hands-on are best at learning by doing. If they have certain tasks and physical activity while learning, they will be better at later remembering the information. I also read that these learners usually talk with their hands a lot. I have always known that I am a hands-on learner. It helps me to learn things as I do them. Or it helps me to have concrete physical examples. I will more likely remember things like that. But I never connected it to the reason I talk with my hands. And the last method is reading. This person can attain and remember information by just reading it. These people will remember things best if they are laid out in front of them.

All of this has shown me that the way you learn best, is the way that you will remember information best. I am a hands-on learner, so I will remember things that I did with activities. This has helped me realize that if I were to study, and do more hands-on things while I study, I will probably be able to retain the information better. I have found a lot of good information on all of these websites. There are many different way to remember information and store it into your short term memory. And I’ve also found that there isn’t a single one that is better than any other one. It just depends on the person and how they learn best.

Terms: Memory, Short Term Memory, Visualization, Long Term Memory

URLs:
http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/happiness-in-world/200911/how-remember-things
I chose to use this website because there is a lot of good information on how best to remember things. There are many different options to use.

http://www.lifehack.org/articles/productivity/writing-and-remembering-why-we-remember-what-we-write.html
I got a lot of really good information on this website about writing and remembering. I learned that if you write things down over and over, you will be more likely to remember them.

http://www.wikihow.com/Memorize
This website had the most information by far. It talked a lot about how we learn. The ways that people learn are usually the ways that they will be likely to recall information.

The topic I wanted to learn more about was of memory loss. The reason I wanted to learn more about this topic was because of the short section on memory loss which there even was an example in the chapter known as the H.M. case. Cases studies has always been interesting to me, and I thought it would be appropriate to learn more about memory loss since it affects so many people.

Dementia includes memory loss and a group of other cognitive changes including personality changes. The brain has a loss of brain matter which can be seen in dementia that is widespread. Alzheimer’s Disease is the highest form of dementia known to affect people, but it is not the only cause for memory loss. Vascular dementia involves a large amount of damage to many blood vessels throughout the brain is another common cause of memory loss, and there are other types of causes for dementia.

A much more popular rise in memory loss/form of dementia is caused by multiple concussions from having head trauma from contact sports. Dementia does actually just cause the loss of just ones memory. Dementia is characterized in causing loss of many of the functions one has in all aspects. Dementia is known to make a person have a very difficult time acquiring new memories, or they are not able to even process new memories. Dementia can also cause a person to forget things as quickly as they had just happened because either their long term memory is affected, or both short term and long term are affected.

Even though Dementia can cause a person to lose their memory or have issues in storing new memories an average person can have issues with their memory due to age or just not having good concentration. Many people have seen it or at least heard of someone who was older that said “Where have I placed my keys”, or just forgetting names much easier. Some of the loss of memory can actually be just from not focusing on the task at hand, but in older people there has been some sign of loss of brain matter. The loss of brain matter can be contributed to the number of neurons, and transmitters declining. The loss of neurons and transmitters will happen simply because of getting older and almost no one is able to avoid it. In resent research there has been some signs that new neurons can be developed, but only if a person challenges their brains almost everyday.
http://www.patient.co.uk/health/memory-loss-and-dementia
This website provided a good definition of memory loss and it provided several good examples of types of causes for memory loss.

http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/alzheimers-disease/in-depth/memory-loss/art-20046326
This website was similar to the previous source in which it provided types of memory loss, but it also provided several examples signs of memory loss.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Memory
This website provided a large amount of information in the many different theories and types of memory. It also provided physiological reasons for loss of memory

1a) State what your topic is.
Hermann Ebbinghaus.
1b) Discuss how the topic relates to the chapter.
Ebbinghaus was a psychologist who experimented with memory and the forgetting curve. This chapter talked about memory so it included Ebbinghaus and a description of his work.
1c) Discuss why you are interested in it.
I am interested in Ebbinghaus because I think his work was very unique. According to the brief description in the textbook, he was a very creative man who came up with an interesting way to study the forgetting curve. While William James was a prominent point of discussion in the book for his dualist models of memory, Ebbinghaus also made many leaps in the field of memory.

2) Hermann Ebbinghaus was a German psychologist who studied philosophy. He obtained a PhD at the age of 23 and began studying memory in 1879. He allegedly stumbled across Gustav Fechner's book of psychophysics which possibly sparked his interest in memory and began his experimentation. He also was a professor and an excellent lecturer; his students, by all reports, enjoyed him and he was easy to relate to as a professor.
Ebbinghaus' work with memory was most specifically focused on the forgetting curve. In order to produce accurate results, Ebbinghaus needed to come up with a stimulus that was simple, neutral, and homogeneous. He invented something called the “nonsense syllable.” He described this as “Out of the simple consonants of the alphabet and our eleven vowels and diphthongs all possible syllables of a certain sort were constructed, a vowel sound being placed between two consonants. These syllables, about 2,3-- in number, were mixed together and then drawn out by chance and used to construct series of different lengths, several of which each time formed the material for a test.” He also had to come up with a way to measure the amount of retention and invented something called the savings method. Essentially his experimentation process went like this: he created a list of nonsense words (nonsense syllables) and tested to see how long the test subject could remember the whole list, and then half the list. He graphed the results and this is what we now call Ebbinghaus' Forgetting Curve.
Ebbinghaus discovered several things. How well we retain information is based on the strength of memory as well as the amount of time that has passed since learning. In order to retain information better, we should repeat the information. The more times the information is repeated, the greater retention. In addition, if we focus on making the information relevant, we will be more likely to retain the information.

3) http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/09/20/gene-forget-bad-memories-found-by-scientists_n_3957354.html
This was an interesting article on the Tet1 gene and what the MIT researchers have been able to lean/do in regards to it.
http://www.flashcardlearner.com/articles/hermann-ebbinghaus-a-pioneer-of-memory-research/
In this article I was able to learn more background of Ebbinghaus. I read about his youth and his previous work leading to what he did in his ground breaking discoveries.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hermann_Ebbinghaus#Research_on_memory
This was a great site to learn about the learning and forgetting curves. This also gave me a lot of good jumping off points to go different places.

1. A.Short term memory and technology
B. Chapter 5 was all about working memory and short term memory. My topic relates to short term memory by discussing implications of technology on short term memory.
C. I am interested in this topic because I like many others interact with technology every day of my life. It is interesting to think that interacting with specific kinds of technology may influence how and what we remember. Our ability to remember has significant consequences for cognition.

In my first source, researchers were studying the differences in short term memory between those who do and do not play action videogames. They replicated previous studies that demonstrated advantages in visual short term memory for action video game players. This is a great example of the way this medium of art/entertainment can alter our cognitive abilities. It may also be that any environment or experience that is rich with information and challenge similar to a videogame has the potential to improve our short term memory.

Not all technology may be so helpful. Others caution that technology can actually pose a detriment to our working memory ability. In my second source they discuss how interacting with a phone can consume cognitive resources. In our conversations we have with friends and family, it may be that a notification beep from our phone triggers us. Triggers us into thinking about interacting with our phone rather than being engaged in a conversation. It could also make us less likely to actually rehearse important information we hear just prior to interacting with our cell phones.

The effects of technology on cognition and short term memory may or may not strike a balance. However, people are not disposed to only being passive receptors of the inputs that improve or decrease their working memory functioning. In my third source effects of brain training are discussed. While brain training can not improve fluid intelligence it seems it can improve performance on working memory related tasks. This could be an especially important finding if the training could improve the performance of those already in an environment that is demanding of short term memory such as air traffic control workers or police dispatchers.

http://link.springer.com/article/10.3758%2Fs13414-013-0487-0/fulltext.html I included this source because I wanted to highlight one way technology can be beneficial for one’s short term memory functioning.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/rebecca-jackson/how-cell-phone-use-is-destroying-your-kids-short-term-memory_b_4016345.html This second source allowed me to highlight the unintended consequences that could arise from technology that we depend on in many areas of our lives (cell phones).

http://www.news.gatech.edu/2013/10/08/%E2%80%98brain-training%E2%80%99-may-boost-working-memory-not-intelligence Finally this source was to help make the point that people do not have to be resigned to just being a product of the world they live in with regards to cognition. This article showed that one can have some level agency in their working memory functioning.

I chose to look at chunking a little more just because I thought that it was neat. I have a lot of problems with memory long and short term I thought that it would be neat to look more into it. We use chunking in our everyday life. Say that we want to remember a number 4101946 a friend’s phone number that we just got. If we don’t have anything to write it down on we would chunk things together without even thinking about it. 4101946 we might put 410 because it reminds us of a shot gun and then 1946 a year. A guy named George Miller has a theory about 7 plus or minus 2. In the paper that he wrote he states that, humans can retain five to nine pieces of information in their short term memory. You can increase the amount of when you place the stuff in to chunks. We are able to store about 4 chunks at one time. When information goes in to our short term for about 20-30 secs. After that it goes to long-term memory or lost altogether. Chunking is one way to increase your short term memory.

http://psychology.about.com/library/Psychology_Experiments/bl-memory-experiment.htm
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jDbAYMUXpcA
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chunking_%28psychology%29