Reinterpreting selective impairments in memory: computational and empirical simulations of dissociations in amnesia
| dc.contributor.author | Curtis, Evan | |
| dc.contributor.examiningcommittee | Mondor, Todd (Psychology) Jakobson, Lorna (Psychology) Bruce, Neil (Computer Science) Masson, Michael (University of Victoria) | en_US |
| dc.contributor.supervisor | Jamieson, Randall (Psychology) | en_US |
| dc.date.accessioned | 2017-02-07T17:43:02Z | |
| dc.date.available | 2017-02-07T17:43:02Z | |
| dc.date.issued | 2017 | |
| dc.degree.discipline | Psychology | en_US |
| dc.degree.level | Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) | en_US |
| dc.description.abstract | By a dominant account, memory is composed of multiple storage systems, each operating according to unique principles. By an alternative account, memory is a single storage system and operates according to a single set of principles. Selective memory impairments in amnesia serve as the primary evidence for the multiple-system perspective. This thesis reports a critical appraisal of the multiple-system perspective using a combination of computational and empirical methods. In the computational analysis, I adopt the Holographic Exemplar Model, a single-system model of memory based on Hintzman’s (1986) classic MINERVA2 model. I simulate amnesia by manipulating the quality with which items are encoded in memory. In the empirical analysis, I simulate amnesia by manipulating peoples’ quality of encoding by limiting the time given to study stimuli. Simulations 1-2 and Experiments 1-2 simulate a dissociation between classification and recognition. All four analyses are consistent with the original results. Simulation 3 and Experiment 3 simulate single and double dissociations between tachistoscopic identification and recognition. The analyses were consistent with the single but not double dissociation. Simulation 4 and Experiment 4 simulate a dissociation among word-stem completion, cued recall, and recognition. Both analyses were only partially consistent with the original results, representing a failure overall. Simulation 5 and Experiment 5 derived a novel prediction from artificial grammar learning, predicting a non-dissociation between string completion and recognition. The mixed results provide some support for a single-system account of memory and opens opportunities for future work. I argue that the analysis is best considered in convergence with previous work moving toward a more integrated account of memory | en_US |
| dc.description.note | February 2017 | en_US |
| dc.identifier.uri | http://hdl.handle.net/1993/32111 | |
| dc.language.iso | eng | en_US |
| dc.rights | open access | en_US |
| dc.subject | Memory | en_US |
| dc.subject | Dissociation | en_US |
| dc.subject | Amnesia | en_US |
| dc.subject | Computational modeling | en_US |
| dc.title | Reinterpreting selective impairments in memory: computational and empirical simulations of dissociations in amnesia | en_US |
| dc.type | doctoral thesis | en_US |