Chapter 6 Memory Flashcards
Memory
Ability to store and retrieve information over time
Encoding
Process of transforming what we perceive, think or feel into an enduring memory
Storage
Process of maintaining information in memory over time
Retrieval
Process of bringing to mind information in memory over time
Semantic Encoding
Process of relating new information in a meaningful way to knowledge that is already stored in memory
Visual Imagery Encoding
Process of storing new information by converting it into mental pictures
Organizational Encoding
Process of categorizing information according to the relationships among a series of items
Sensory Memory
Type of storage that holds sensory information for a few seconds or less
Iconic Memory
Fast-decaying store of visual information
Echoic Memory
Fast-decaying store of auditory information
Short-Term Memory
Holds nonsensory information for more than a few seconds but less than a minute
Rehearsal
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
Type of storage that holds information for hours, days, weeks or years
Anterograde Amnesia
Inability to transfer new information from the short-term store into the long-term store
Retrograde Amnesia
Inability to retrieve information that was acquired before a particular date
Consolidation
Process by which memories become stable in the brain
Reconsolidation
Consolidated memories can become vulnerable to disruption when they are recalled, thus requiring them to be consolidated again
Long-Term Potentiation
Process whereby communication across the synapse between neurons strengthens the connection making further communication easier
Retrieval Cue
External information that is associated with stored information and helps bring it to mind
Encoding Specificity Principle
Retrieval cue an serve as an effective reminder when it helps recreate the specific way in which information was initially encoded
State-Dependent Retrieval
Tendency for information to be better recalled when the person is in the same state during encoding and retrieval
Transfer-Appropriate Processing
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
Process by which retrieving an item from long-term memory impairs subsequent recall of related items
Explicit Memory
Occurs when people consciously or intentionally retrieve past experiences
Implicit Memory
Occurs when past experiences influence later behaviour and performance even without an effort to remember them or an awareness of recollection
Procedural Memory
Gradual acquisition of skills as a result of practice or knowing how to do things
Priming
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
Network of associated facts and concepts that make up our general knowledge of the world
Episodic Memory
Collection of past personal experiences that occurred at a particular time and place
Transcience
Forgetting what occurs with the passage of time
Retroactive Interference
Situations in which later learning impairs memory for information acquired earlier
Proactive Interference
Situations in which earlier learning impairs memory for information acquired later
Absentmindedness
A lapse in attention that results in memory failure
Prospective Memory
Remembering to do things in the future
Blocking
Failure to retrieve information that is available in memory even though you are trying to produce it
Memory Misattribution
Assigning a recollection or an idea to the wrong source
Source Memory
Recall of when, where and how information was acquired
False Recognition
Feeling of familiarity about something that hasn’t been encountered before
Suggestibility
Tendency to incorporate misleading information from external sources into personal recollections
Bias
Distorting influence of present knowledge, beliefs, and feelings on recollection of previous experiences
Persistence
Intrusive recollection of events that we wish we could forget
Flashbulb Memories
Detailed recollections of when and where we heard about shocking events
