Chapter 4 - Memory Flashcards
What is sensory memory?
It is the storage of images and sounds for a couple of seconds or less
What is echoic memory?
It is when the sensory memory stores sounds for up to 2 seconds
What are iconic images?
They are fleeting images that are stored for a very short time
How long are we aware of our short term memories for?
Around 12 seconds
What can be done to prevent information from being dumped from STM?
Rehearsing information
What is working memory?
It is when we store important information when figuring out problems
Where is important information from the STM transferred to?
LTM
How is STM typically encoded as?
Sounds
What is LTM typically encoded as?
Meaning
What are the three stages of memory?
Encoding, storing, retrieving
What makes LTM interesting?
You cannot fill it up; instead, the more you know about something, the easier it is to remember something related to that thing
What is an information bit?
It is a single piece of information
How many information bits can STM typically hold?
Around 7
What are information chunks?
They are bits of information grouped up into larger units
What is maintenance rehearsal?
It is silently repeating information to prolong memory
What is elaborative encoding?
It is relating new information to information already in LTM
What is constructive processing?
It is replacing gaps in memory with new information
How can eyewitness memory be a problem in court cases?
Eyewitnesses can subconsciously replace their memory of the incident with other information, such as a picture of a suspect on television
What is the network model of memory?
It explains that LTM is a network of linked ideas
What is redintegration?
It is when you look at something which triggers a string of memories
What is procedural memory?
It includes conditioned responses like swinging a golf club, typing, etc
What is declarative memory?
It includes factual information like names, dates, etc
What is semantic memory?
It is a subpart of declarative memory that includes basic impersonal parts of the world, such as the days of the week
What is episodic memory?
It records important life events
What is recall?
It is the direct retrieval of facts or information
What is the serial position effect?
It is when people have trouble remembering the middle items of a list
What is recognition memory?
It is the ability to identify previously learned information
What is relearning?
It is learning something that was previously learned
What is explicit memory?
It is memory that is consciously brought back to the surface
What is implicit memory?
It is memory that is subconsciously brought to the surface (knowing how to type)
What is priming?
It is activating hidden memories by using cues, objects
What is encoding failure?
Not creating enough information to store the memory
What is disuse?
It is the theory that memory decays when not actively retrieved
What is a memory cue?
It is a stimulus associated with memory that often helps memory retrieval
What is state dependant learning?
It is the theory that the body has to be in the right state in order to remember well (not good to study while under emotional stress)
What is retroactive interference?
It is the tendency to forget old memories when new ones are created
What is proactive interference?
It is the tendency for new memories to impair retrieval of old memories
What is repression?
It is the tendency to subconsciously push out unwanted thoughts (tragic events)
What is suppression?
It is the conscious attempt to push out unwanted information
What part of the brain acts as a switch between short and long term memory?
The hippocampus
What effects can damage to the hippocampus have on memory?
The inability to consolidate new memories
What are flashback memories?
They are memories that are created at times of high emotion and can become very clear, although they may not be completely true
What are mental images?
They are mental pictures that we create to help remember (visualizing something)
What is eidetic memory?
It is being able to project a picture or image in front of you
