Chapter 6: Memory Flashcards
Encoding
The process of transforming what we perceive, think, or feel into an enduring memory
- semantic encoding
- visual imagery encoding
- organizational encoding
Semantic encoding
The process of relating new information in a meaningful way to knowledge that is already stored in memory; happens in the lower left frontal lobe
Memory
The ability to store and receive information over time through encoding, storage, and retrieval
Storage
The process of maintaining information in memory over time
- sensory storage
- short-term memory
- long-term memory
Retrieval
The process of bringing to mind information that has been previously encoded and stored
Visual-imagery encoding
The process of storing new information by converting it into mental pictures; happens in the occipital lobe
Organizational encoding
The process of categorizing information according to the relationships among a series of items; happens in the upper left frontal lobe
Sensory storage
A type of storage that holds sensory information for a few seconds or less; iconic memory and echoic memory
Short-term memory
Holds nonsensory information for more than a few seconds but less than a minute; can be strengthened by rehearsal and chunking methods; includes the serial position effect
Iconic memory
Fast-decaying store of visual information
Echoic memory
Fast-decaying store of auditory information
Rehearsal
The process of keeping information in short-term memory by mentally repeating it
Chunking
The practice of combining small pieces of information into larger clusters or chunks that are more easily held in short-term memory; useful because we can only remember a certain number of meaningful pieces of info
Serial position effect
The tendency for the first few (primacy effect) and last few (recency effect) items in a series to be more likely to be recalled than the items in the middle
