Final answer:
Defective temporal memory typically results in difficulties with memory formation and retrieval due to damage in the temporal lobes, including the hippocampus. Conditions like anterograde and retrograde amnesia can occur, affecting new memory formation and the recall of past memories respectively. Nonetheless, procedural memory may still be retained and can improve over time.
Step-by-step explanation:
Effects of Defective Temporal Memory
When temporal memory is defective, it often results in problems with forming and retrieving memories. The temporal lobes, particularly the hippocampus, are crucial for the formation of new memories and the processing of auditory information. Damage to these areas can lead to conditions such as anterograde amnesia, where the ability to form new long-term memories is impaired, and retrograde amnesia, which affects the recall of memories formed before the onset of the damage. This is exemplified by famous cases like patient H.M., who was unable to form new episodic or semantic memories after his temporal lobes were surgically removed, although he could still form new procedural memories and remember some past events.
Temporal lobe damage impacting memory can stem from traumatic brain injuries, strokes, seizures, and neurodegenerative diseases. Individuals with such damage might appear to function normally in a conversation or in performing tasks but will struggle to remember recent events or learn new information. They might engage in repetitive behaviors such as reading the same material repeatedly without realizing it has been seen before.
This type of memory deficit extends beyond the loss of memories alone. It often affects a person's ability to learn new skills that require the acquisition of fresh knowledge. However, intriguingly, procedural memory, such as learning to complete a puzzle, may remain intact and even improve with practice over time.