Insight 2011 exam questions

[Genericname2365]

I did this exam and was confused with some areas.


27. Kandel's findings showed that when information was transferred from STM to LTM the neurons involved
A. showed functional changes in their existing synapses
B. showed fewer synaptic questions
C. showed a greater number of synaptic connections (correct answer)
D. Both A and C (answer I picked)
 The answer stated D is incorrect, as A and B are incorrect (I don't know why it said B tbh), and that A is incorrect because Kandel found that when info is stored in STM the synapses showed functional changes. I thought there were functional changes in the existing synapses when info is being transferred from STM to LTM?

Also: The episodic buffer is responsible for: A. integrating info from the phonological loop and the visuo-spatial sketchpad with info stored in LTM. I picked this answer and got it wrong (because I rushed the question and missed the obvious answer, but this still confuses me), as apparently this is a function of the central executive? But I was sure this was the episodic buffer's function?

Lastly the extended response was on the restorative theories of sleep and nearly all of its criteria involved facts not taught in the Grivas book (and I assume, the course), facts like adenosine, norephinephrine and so on. Should I bother learning these facts or is it irrelevant?
 

[Limista]

question 27: correct answer is D. Functional changes in existing synapses refers to LTP, which definitely occurs when new LTM is being formed. There is indeed also an increase in number of synaptic connections (due to more branching of the dendrites), which also occurs when only LTM is being formed. So, practice exam is wrong.

Episodic buffer question: MC answer A is wrong, it is the function of the central executive. This is not the episodic buffer's function. The episodic buffer: on instruction from the central executive, retrieves info from LTM to associate with info already in working memory, before selecting and encoding (recommitting) modified memory back into LTM. I like to think of the episodic buffer as a flap in the door of a house through which the cat comes in and goes back out as an analogy. It's best to also think of this visually, so google Baddeley and Hitch's model of working memory to see what it looks like - you'll see that all the verbal and visual info from the two storage components (phonological loop and visuospatial sketchpad) and from LTM through link of episodic buffer gets 'dumped' or transferred to the central executive.

Yeah - I've done this practice exam too and the extended response answer did include all that stuff about the hormones. There's no harm in learning it, but I didn't bother because it would result in added stress. Plus, I have enough to tackle any question on the theories of sleep.

[ellaa81]

Yeah the episodic buffer question got me too - in my trial exam I did an explanation for the EB saying it integrates info from the subsystems etc... and my teacher made a point to tell the class that you can't say INTEGRATE, because that's actually what the central executive does. The correct word to use is it BINDS information from the subsystems when the central executive instructs it to.
So pretty much, if it has integrates information it's wrong.

[Genericname2365]

Thanks for responding, that clears it up. 
 

Plus, I have enough to tackle any question on the theories of sleep.

Question: do you have this information to tackle the theories of sleep just from the VCE Psychology textbook/s, or did you do extra research? There really wasn't much info on this topic, for example, in the Grivas book so I'm really hoping extra research isn't a necessity in order to do well on the extended response.

[dzzhao]

Sorry starfish but that multi the company paper is right.

It asks for the difference from stm to ltm and the only difference is structural changes, the clear mistake was to assume nothing happens when stm forms

[Limista]

dzzhao - I'm not assuming that the answer is only A, I'm assuming that it is A and C.

In the formation of STM, there are only biochemical changes in the synapse

In the formation of LTM, there are biochemical changes in the synapse AND there are new synaptic connections which are formed (irrespective of whether info transferred from sensory memory to LTM or from STM to LTM), therefore I ascertained that D is more correct than C..

What do you think?

[dzzhao]

It asks for the difference from STM and ltm

The only difference between the two is structural changes, and thus a is not the answer because that is not a difference between the 2

[Limista]

hmmm -ok. I didn't read it in that way with the 'difference' part. I probably misinterpreted the question...sorry about that.

About the extra research for the restorative theories...I didn't do any. I only referred to the notes my teacher gave me and used that as the basis for what I know.