Module 6: Learning and Memory

The ability to learn and think is key to survival. In fact, if humans did not have the ability to learn or remember, the species would have become extinct. Specifically, the abilities to learn, think, and remember allow you to adapt to changing conditions of the world, and this has enabled humans to progress and create civilization as you know it.

Getting Started

What if you could recall virtually every detail of your life? Would you find it annoying or extremely helpful? Take a moment to think about which events in your life you would like to always remember in detail, and which events you wished you could forget.

There actually are a few people who have this amazing ability. It is called hyperthymesia. The word hyperthymesia comes from the Greek words thymesis, which translates to “remembering,” and hyper, which translates to “excessive.” Individuals with hyperthymesia can recall almost every day of their lives with nearly perfect detail, as well as public events that are important to them. Although scientists did not previously believe humans could possess such an extensive autobiographical memory, they are currently trying to determine exactly what this means with regard to human capabilities. Hyperthymesia is a rare syndrome. So far, thirty-three cases of hyperthymesia have been confirmed. Eleven individuals have now been extensively studied by memory researcher James McGaugh at the University of California, Irvine.

 

Key Vocabulary

To view definitions for these key vocabulary terms, visit the course glossary.

 

acquisition	fixation	partial reinforcement
Alfred Binet	functional fixedness	positive reinforcement
algorithm	g factor	primary reinforcers
amnesia	generalization	prototypes
anterograde amnesia	heuristics	punishment
automatic encoding	Howard Gardner	reinforcer
Charles Spearman	insight	retrieval
classical conditioning	intellectual disability	retrograde amnesia
cognition	interference	Robert Sternberg
concepts	interpersonal	s factor
conditioned response (CR)	intrapersonal	secondary reinforcers
conditioned stimulus (CS)	Ivan Pavlov	semantic encoding
confirmation bias	Law of Effect	short-term memory
continuous reinforcement	learning	spontaneous recovery
Daniel Goleman	long-term memory	storage
discrimination	Louis Terman	symbols
Ebbinghaus Forgetting Curve	memory	tip-of-the-tongue phenomenon
effortful ecoding	mental set	Triarchic Theory
elaboratovie rehearsal	Multiple Intelligences	unconditioned response (UCR)
emotional intelligence	negative reinforcement	unconditioned stimulus (UCS)
encoding	observational learning	Wechsler Adult/Children Intelligence Scale (WAIS or WCIS)
extinction	operant conditioning