In the history of psychology, the question of where learning and memory take place has occupied investigators for years. Recent work at the National Institute of Mental Health has brought scientists closer to resolving the issue. This module shows magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) technology being used to identify specific changes in the motor cortex of human subjects — changes that correspond to training in particular tasks.
17. Learning As Synaptic Change, 8 min
This module presents researchers investigating the structural changes involved in learning. Research conducted at the Pasteur Institute in Paris shows that the learning process involves the formation of new brain connections and the elimination of others. Other researchers dispel the myth of brain loss in aging, present evidence of changes at the cellular level, and review research on associative learning.
