Chapter 6 Flashcards
memory
- the ability to store and retrieve information over time
- 3 key functions of memory: encoding, storage, retrieval
- influenced by type of encoding regardless if we consciously intend to remember an event or not
encoding
- the process of transforming what we perceive, think, or feel into an enduring memory
- most instances of memory performance reflect encoding strategies rather than photographic memory
- semantic, visual imagery, and organizational encoding all increase memory but use different parts of the brain
storage
the process of maintaining information in memory over time
- 3 kinds of memory storage: sensory, short-term, long-term
- depends on changes in synapses
retrieval
the process of bringing to mind information that has been previously encoded and stored
semantic encoding
the process of relating new information in a meaningful way to knowledge that is already stored in memory
visual imagery encoding
- the process of storing new information by converting it into mental pictures
- can substantially improve memory
organizational encoding
the process of categorizing information according to the relationships among a series of items
sensory memory
a type of storage that holds sensory information for a few seconds or less
iconic memory
a fast-decaying store of VISUAL information
echoic memory
a fast-decaying store of AUDITORY information
short-term memory
a type of storage that holds nonsensory information for more than a few seconds but less than a minute (~15-20 sec)
rehearsal
the process of keeping information in short-term memory by mentally repeating it
chunking
combining small pieces of information into larger clusters or chunks that are more easily held in short-term memory
working memory
active maintenance of information in short-term storage
long-term memory
- a type of memory that holds information for hours, days, weeks, or years
- not everyone is able to store long-term memory
- hippocampal region of brain is critical for putting new information into the long-term storage
anterograde amnesia
- the inability to transfer new information from the short-term store into the long-term store
- result when hippocampal region is damaged
retrograde amnesia
the inability to retrieve information that was acquired before a particular date, usually the date of an injury or surgery
consolidation
- the process by which memories become stable in the brain
- these memories are more resistant to disruption
- sleep contributes to memory consolidation
reconsolidation
memories can become vulnerable to disruption when they are recalled, requiring them to become consolidated again
long-term potentiation (LTP)
- a process whereby communication across the synapse between neurons strengthens the connection, making further communication easier
- increases synaptic connections
retrieval cue
- external information that is associated with stored information and helps bring it to mind
- effective when they are given in the same context as when we encoded an experience
ex. moods and inner states
encoding specificity principle
the idea that a retrieval cue can serve as an effective reminder when it helps re-create the specific way in which information was initially encoded
state-dependent retrieval
the tendency for information to be better recalled when the person is in the same state during encoding and retrieval
transfer-appropriate processing
the idea that memory is likely to transfer from one situation to another when the encoding and retrieval contexts of the situations match
retrieval-induced forgetting
- a process by which retrieving an item from long-term memory impairs subsequent recall of related items
- improves subsequent memory of the retrieved information but impairs subsequent remembering of related info that is not retrieved
Parts of brain dealing with remembering
- neuroimaging studies suggest trying to remember activates left frontal lobe
- successful recovery of stored info activates the hippocampus and regions in the brain related to sensory aspects of an experience
explicit memory
(WITH CONSCIOUS RECALL)
the act of consciously or intentionally retrieving past experiences
implicit memory
(WITHOUT CONSCIOUS RECALL)
- the influence of past experiences on later behavior and performance, even without an effort to remember them or an awareness of the recollection
- retained in people with amnesia
procedural memory
(MOTOR AND COGNITIVE SKILLS)
the gradual acquisition of skills as a result of practice, or “knowing how” to do things
priming
(ENHANCED INDEIFICATION OF OBJECTS/WORDS)
an enhanced ability to think of a stimulus, such as a word or object, as a result of a recent exposure to the stimulus
semantic memory
(FACTS AND GENERAL INFORMATION)
a network of associated facts and concepts that make up our general knowledge of the world
episodic memory
(PERSONALLY EXPERIENCED EVENTS)
the collection of past personal experiences that occurred at a particular time and place
collaborative memory
remembering in groups
- collaborative remembering can both impair memory (collaborative inhibition) and enhance it by exposing people to new info and helping to correct errors
7 sins of memory (memory failures)
- transience (forgetting what occurs with the passage of time, first rapid forgetting and then gradual)
- absentmindedness (lapse in attention that results in memory failure, results in forgetting to do things in future)
- blocking (failure to retrieve info that is available in memory even though you are trying to produce it, when info is “on the tip of your tongue”)
- memory misattribution (assigning a recollection or an idea to the wrong source, can result in eyewitness misidentification or false recognition)
- suggestibility (the tendency to incorporate misleading information from external sources into personal recollections)
- bias (the distorting influences of present knowledge, beliefs, and feelings on recollection of previous experiences)
- persistence (the intrusive recollection of events that we wish we could forget, influenced by the amygdala)
retroactive interference
situations in which information learned later impairs memory for information acquired earlier
proactive interference
situations in which information learned earlier impairs memory for information acquired later
prospective memory
remembering to do things in the future
source memory
recall of when, where, and how information was acquired
false recognition
a feeling of familiarity about something that hasn’t been encountered before
- common in people with frontal lobe damage
flashbulb memories
detailed recollections of when and where we heard about shocking events
Encoding is the process
a. by which we transform what we perceive, think, or feel into an enduring memory
b. of maintaining information in memory over time
c. of bringing to mind information that has been previously stored
d. through which we recall information previously learned but forgotten
a. by which we transform what we perceive, think, or feel into an enduring memory
What is the process of relating new information in a meaningful way to knowledge that is already in memory?
a. spontaneous encoding
b. organization encoding
c. semantic encoding
d. visual imagery encoding
c. semantic encoding
Our human ancestors depended on the encoding of
a. organizational information
b. reproductive mechanisms
c. survival-related information
d. pleasantness conditions
c. survival-related information
What kind of memory storage holds information for a second or two?
a. retrograde memory
b. working memory
c. short-term memory
d. sensory memory
d. sensory memory
The process by which memories become stable in the brain is called
a. consolidation
b. long-term memory
c. iconic memory
d. hippocampal indexing
a. consolidation
Long-term potentiation occurs through
a. the interruption of communication between neurons
b. the strengthening of synaptic connections
c. the reconsolidation of disrupted memories
d. sleep
b. the strengthening of synaptic connections
The increased likelihood of recalling a sad memory when you are in a sad mood is an illustration of
a. the encoding specificity principle
b. state-dependent retrieval
c. transfer-appropriate processing
d. memory accessibility
b. state-dependent retrieval
Which of the following statements regarding the consequences of memory retrieval is false?
a. retrieval-induced forgetting can affect eyewitness memory
b. the act of retrieval can strengthen a retrieved memory
c. retrieval can impair subsequent memory
d. retrieval boosts subsequent memory through the repetition of information
d. retrieval boosts subsequent memory through the repetition of information
Neuroimaging studies suggest that trying to remember activates the
a. left frontal lobe
b. hippocampal region
c. occipital lobe
d. upper temporal lobe
a. left frontal lobe
The act of consciously or intentionally retrieving past experiences is
a. priming
b. procedural memory
c. implicit memory
d. explicit memory
d. explicit memory
People who have amnesia are able to retain all of the following except
a. explicit memory
b. implicit memory
c. procedural memory
d. priming
a. explicit memory
Remembering a family reunion that you attended as a child illustrates
a. semantic memory
b. procedural memory
c. episodic memory
d. perceptual priming
c. episodic memory
The rapid decline in memory, followed by more gradual forgetting, is reflected by
a. chunking
b. blocking
c. absentmindedness
d. transience
d. transience
Eyewitness misidentification or false recognition is most likely a result of
a. memory misattribution
b. suggestibility
c. bias
d. retroactive interference
a. memory misattribution
The fact that emotional arousal generally leads to enhanced memory is supported by
a. egocentric bias
b. persistence
c. proactive interference
d. source memory
b. persistence
