Chapter 5a Memory Flashcards
Memory
is the process of taking in information, saving it over time, and calling it to mind later.
Information processing model:
a model of memory that involves the three steps of encoding, storage, and retrieval
Encoding
Entering information into memory. Without encoding, there’s nothing to store and nothing to retrieve later
First step of the three fundamental memory steps
We encode only what is necessary, so we tend to forget details that are not necessary to identify an object, such as a penny.
Sensory memory
The earliest part of the memory process, in which the senses take in and very briefly hold information.
Echoic memory
Auditory sensory memory, or all the information your ears took in during the past few seconds.
Iconic memory
Visual sensory memory, or all the information your eyes took in during the last fraction of a second
Level of processing
How deeply information is processed. Also known as depth of processing, the idea here is that we tend to forget information quickly when we think about it in shallow ways, but we tend to remember information well when we think about it in deep ways
Chunking
Grouping pieces of information together in a meaningful way to enhance memory.
Rehearsal
Deliberately repeating information to enhance memory. Rehearsal commonly takes the form of saying verbal material over and over, either aloud or silently, to yourself
Maintenance rehearsal
Information is repeated in exactly the same form it was originally encoded
Elaborative rehearsal
Involves adding meaning or associations to information, which enhances memory
Long-term potentiation
The increased connectivity between simultaneously stimulated neurons that forms the biological basis of memory
Storage
Retaining information in memory
It’s the second of the three fundamental memory steps
Short-term memory
A limited amount of new information being held briefly until it is either discarded or kept long-term
Long-term memory
A seemingly limitless amount of information being held for extensive periods of time.
Working memory
A type of memory in which processing, or work, is done on briefly held information.
Automatic processing
The entrance of some information into long-term memory without any conscious processing
Retrieval
Is pulling information out of memory. It is the third and final step among the three basic steps of memory
Recall
is a type of retrieval in which you access stored information without any comparison to external information
Recognition
Is a type of retrieval in which you determine whether stored information matches external information
Retrieval cues
Reminders that facilitate retrieval of information from memory. Retrieval cues are things that prompt you to remember
Encoding specificity
The effect of contextual information present when memory was encoded, such as physical surroundings, on retrieval
Priming
Recent experiences cause an increased likelihood of recalling certain memories. For example, spending time on any beach is likely to increase your recollection of all of your memories related to beaches.
Explicit memory
Is memory of which you are consciously aware. It is also known as declarative memory, which refers to the fact that it is memory that you can declare (or more simply, tell) to another person
Explicit memory is memory that you know you know
Semantic memory
There are two basic types of explicit memory: semantic memory and episodic memory
A type of explicit memory consisting of facts, figures, word meanings, and other general information.
Episodic memory
There are two basic types of explicit memory: semantic memory and episodic memory
A type of explicit memory consisting of personal firsthand experiences. Episodic memory is your internal autobiography, a record of the episodes of your life
Implicit memory
Is memory of which you are not consciously aware. It is also called nondeclarative memory, because you cannot easily declare (or tell) it to another person.
Procedural Memory
A type of implicit memory consisting of how to perform tasks that you do automatically. The key word in that definition is how
