Final answer:
LOP refers to the 'levels of processing' that suggest the depth of information processing affects the likelihood of memory transfer to long-term memory. Memories are not stored in a single location but are distributed throughout the brain, especially within the cerebellum, hippocampus, and amygdala. Modern research has expanded upon Karl Lashley's early work to further elucidate the brain's role in memory processing.
Step-by-step explanation:
LOP is the idea that memory happens as a result of levels of processing. This concept suggests that the deeper the level of processing, the more likely the information is to be transferred from short-term memory to long-term memory. During encoding, if information is processed at a more meaningful level—such as through semantic processing—it has a better chance of becoming a long-term memory.
Memory is a complex process that involves encoding, storage, and retrieval. Rather than being stored in a single place, memories are distributed throughout different parts of the brain.
Karl Lashley's early research, which involved creating lesions in animal brains, did not confirm the existence of the engram, or a single memory location, but paved the way for later findings that identified the cerebellum, hippocampus, and amygdala as crucial areas in memory processing and storage.
Researchers have established that different types of memory—such as implicit, explicit, procedural, and episodic—are associated with different brain areas. Modern studies, building upon Lashley's work and the famous case of patient HM, have greatly advanced our understanding of memory consolidation and the dynamic structures involved in memory formation.