Practice question · Multiple choice
People remember where they were during a shocking public event far better than what they did the previous Tuesday. Which limbic structure explains the difference, and how?
Hints
- Two structures are involved: one forms the memory, one decides how much it matters.
- The tagging happens at encoding, not afterwards.
Show the answer
B. The amygdala, which tags emotionally significant events at encoding.
Why
The hippocampus forms the memory and the amygdala evaluates significance, strengthening consolidation through its projections and the stress hormones released alongside, which is why the effect does not depend on later rehearsal. One caution: these memories feel far more accurate than they are, so the tagging strengthens vividness along with the trace.
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