The Learning Brain

Description

One of the most complicated and advanced computers on Earth can’t be purchased in any store. This astonishing device, responsible for storing and retrieving vast quantities of information that can be accessed at a moment’s notice, is the human brain. How does such a dynamic and powerful machine make memories, learn a language, and remember how to drive a car? What habits can we adopt to learn more effectively throughout our lives? And how do factors like traumatic injuries, stress, and mood affect our grey matter? The answers to these questions are merely the tip of the iceberg in The Learning Brain. Professor Biography......Page 3 Acknowledgements......Page 5 Course Scope......Page 9 Lecture 1—Learning 101......Page 12 Defining Learning and Memory......Page 13 The Scientific Study of Learning......Page 15 Lecture 2—What Amnesia Teaches Us about Learning......Page 19 A Case of Amnesia......Page 20 Types of Learning and Memory Preserved in Amnesia......Page 23 Lecture 3—Conscious, Explicit Learning......Page 28 Learning about Explicit Learning......Page 29 Visual versus Verbal Information......Page 30 Previous Knowledge......Page 33 Effectively Learning Explicit Information......Page 36 Lecture 4—Episodic Memory and Eyewitness Testimony......Page 38 Making Inferences......Page 39 Studies of Eyewitness Testimony......Page 41 Improving the Quality of Eyewitness Testimony......Page 45 Episodic versus Semantic Memory......Page 50 Categorization......Page 51 Category Learning Systems......Page 54 Lecture 6—The Neural Basis of Explicit Learning......Page 58 Brain Anatomy......Page 59 Learning New Information and Memory Storage......Page 61 Information Processing and Memory Consolidation......Page 62 Lecture 7—Strategies for Effective Explicit Learning......Page 68 Ineffective Study Techniques......Page 69 Effective Study Techniques......Page 72 Lecture 8—Controversies in Explicit Learning Research......Page 78 Learning Styles......Page 79 The Mozart Effect......Page 81 Repression and Recovery of Traumatic Memories......Page 84 Lecture 9—Unconscious, Implicit Learning......Page 88 Nonassociative Learning......Page 89 Associative Learning: Classical Conditioning......Page 91 Associative Learning: Operant Conditioning......Page 94 Lecture 10—The Psychology of Skill Learning......Page 99 Skill Acquisition......Page 100 Stages of Skill Acquisition......Page 101 How Skill Acquisition Happens: A Theory......Page 104 Lecture 11—Language Acquisition......Page 108 The Problem of Language Acquisition......Page 110 Genetic Wiring and Linguistic Universals......Page 113 Language Development......Page 114 Lecture 12—The Neural Basis of Implicit Learning......Page 117 Neural Mechanisms Underlying Nonassociative Learning......Page 118 Neural Mechanisms Underlying Associative Learning......Page 123 Lecture 13—Strategies for Effective Skill Learning......Page 128 A Misconception about Effective Practice......Page 129 Space......Page 131 Challenge......Page 132 Randomize......Page 134 Qualifications on SCoRe Recommendations......Page 136 Lecture 14—Learning Bad Habits: Addiction......Page 138 Key Features of Addiction......Page 139 How Addiction Reflects Pathological Learning......Page 142 Lecture 15—Introduction to Working Memory......Page 148 Working Memory and Cognition......Page 149 The Phonological Loop......Page 152 Lecture 16—Components of Working Memory......Page 157 The Visuospatial Sketchpad......Page 158 The Central Executive......Page 160 The Episodic Buffer......Page 164 Lecture 17—The Neural Basis of Working Memory......Page 167 Studying Neural Mechanisms of Working Memory......Page 168 Applying Animal Results to Humans......Page 171 Lecture 18—Training Your Working Memory......Page 177 Improving ADHD Symptoms......Page 180 How Does Working Memory Training Affect the Brain?......Page 182 Lecture 19—How Motivation Affects Learning......Page 186 Self-Efficacy......Page 188 Perceived Control......Page 190 Intrinsic Motivation......Page 193 Perceived Control......Page 194 Lecture 20—How Stress and Emotion Affect Learning......Page 196 Emotional Memories......Page 197 How Feelings Affect Learning and Memory......Page 201 The Biological Basis of Stress and Emotion......Page 203 Lecture 21—How Sleep Affects Learning......Page 207 The Behavioral Effects of Sleep on Learning......Page 208 What Happens in the Brain while We Sleep......Page 211 Reactivating Memories while We Sleep......Page 213 Theories of Sleep’s Role in Memory Consolidation......Page 215 Lecture 22—How Aging Affects Learning......Page 218 How Learning and Memory Change as We Age......Page 219 How the Brain Changes as We Age......Page 222 Preserving Learning and Memory Abilities......Page 224 Lecture 23—Dyslexia and Other Learning Disabilities......Page 228 Specific Learning Disorders......Page 229 Dyslexia......Page 231 Dyslexia’s Cognitive Mechanisms......Page 233 Dyslexia’s Neural Mechanisms......Page 234 Lecture 24—Optimizing Your Learning......Page 239 1. Adopt a positive mindset.......Page 240 2. Be strategic and deliberate about your learning.......Page 241 3. Learn actively rather than passively.......Page 243 4. Identify good sources of information that will challenge you.......Page 245 5. Stay active, eat right, and get enough sleep.......Page 246 Bibliography......Page 249