Chapter 6 - Memory Flashcards
An active system that receives information from the senses, puts that information into a usable form, and organizes it as it stores it away, and then retrieves the information from the storage.
memory
The set of mental operations that people perform on sensory information to convert that information into a form that is usable in the brain’s storage systems.
encoding
holding onto information for some period of time
storage
getting information that is in storage into a form that can be used
retrieval
model of memory that assumes the processing of information for memory storage is similar to the way a computer processes memory in a series of three stages
information-processing model
model of memory that assumes information that is more “deeply processed,” or processed according to its meaning rather than just the sound or physical characteristics of the word or words, will be remembered more efficienu and for a longer period of time
levels-of-processing model
the very first stage of memory, the point at which information enters the nervous system through sensory systems
sensory memory
visual sensory memory, lasting only a fraction of a second
iconic memory
the ability to access a visual memory for 30 seconds or more
eidetic imagery
the memory system in which information is held for brief periods of time while being used
short-term memory (STM)
the ability to focus on only one stimulus from among all sensory input
selective attention
the brief memory of something a person has just heard
echoic memory
an active system that processes the information in short-term memory
working memory
practice of saying some information to be remembered over and over in one’s head in order to maintain it in short-term memory
maintenance rehearsal
the system of memory into which all the information is placed to be kept more or less permanently
long-term memory (LTM)
type of long-term memory including memory for skills, procedures, havits, and conditioned responses. These memories are not conscious but are implied to exist because they affect conscious behavior.
procedural (nondeclarative) memory
loss of memory from the point of injury or trauma forward, or the inability to form new long-term memories
anterogade amnesia
memory that is not easily brought into conscious awareness, such as procedural memory
implicit memory
type of long-term memory containing information that is conscious and known
declarative memory
type of declarative memory containing general knowledge, such as knowledge of language and information learned in formal education
semantic memory
type of declarative memory containing personal information not readily available to others, such as daily activities and events
episodic memory
model of memory organization that assumes information is stored in the brain in a connected fashion, with concepts that are related stored physically closer to each other than concepts that are not highly related
semantic network model
a stimulus for remembering
retrieval clue
the tendency for memory of information to be improved if related information (such as surroundings or physiological state) that is available when the memory is first formed is also available when the memory is being retrieved
encoding specificity
memories formed during a particular physiological or psychological state
state-dependent learning
type of memory retrieval in which the information to be retrieved must be “pulled” from memory with very few external clues
recall
the ability to match a piece of information or a stimulus to a stored image or fact
recognition
tendency of information at the beginning and end of a body of information to be remembered more accurately than information in the middle of the body of information
serial position effect
tendency to remember information at the beginning of a body of information better than the information that follows
primacy effect
tendency to remember information at the end of a body of information better than the information at the beginning of it
recency effect
error of recognition in which people think that they recognize some stimulus that is not actually in memory
false positive
tendency of certain kinds of information to enter long-term memory with little or no effortful encoding
automatic encoding
type of automatic encoding that occurs because an unexpected event has strong emotional associations for the person remembering it
flashbulb memories
referring to the retrieval of memories in which those memories are altered, revised, or influenced by newer information
constructive processing
the tendency to falsely believe, through revision of older memories to include newer information, that one could have correctly predicted the outcome of an event
hindsight bias
the tendency of misleading information presented after an event to alter the memories of the event itself
misinformation effect
a graph showing a distinct pattern in which forgetting is very fast within the first hour after learning a list and then tapers off gradually
curve of forgetting
spacing the study of material to be remembered by including breaks between study periods
distributed practice
failure to process information into memory
encoding failure
physical change in the brain that pccurs when a memory is formed
memory trace
loss of memory due to the passage of time, during which the memory trace is not used
decay
another name for decay, assuming that memories that are not used will eventually decay and disappear
disuse
memory problem that occurs when older information prevents or interferes with the learning or retrieval of newer information
proactive interference
memory problem that occurs when newer information prevents or interferes with the retrieval of older information
retroactive interference
the changes that take place in the structure and functioning of neurons when a memory is formed
consolidation
loss of memory from the point of some injury or trauma backwards, or loss of memory for the past
retrogade amnesia
a method of transferring information from STM into LTM by making that information meaningful in some way
elaborative rehearsal
