Chapter 6 Vocab Flashcards
Everday Memory
Processes involved in encoding, storing,
and retrieving information
Memory
- Limited capacity and short duration (seconds)
- Information fades if not actively attended to or moved to LTM (long-term memory)
Short-term memory
- Vast capacity and long duration (possibly decades)
- Unlike STM (short-term memory), which holds information “in mind”, information
can be retrieved from long-term storage.
- Unlike STM (short-term memory), which holds information “in mind”, information
Long-term memory
Multi-stage process that allows us to store memories in
long-term memory
Encoding
- After a stimulus is briefly
presented, a detailed representation of it appears to persist in your
mind for a fraction of a second - A highly detailed but short-lived impression of
sensory information
Sensory memory
Type of sensory memory that briefly stores visual information for a fraction of a second after seeing an image
Iconic memory
Our understanding of how our own memory works, allowing us to use these strategies more effectively
Metamemory
Encoding strategy that involves breaking up information into smaller, manageable bits
Chunking
Encoding strategy that involves linking new material to knowledge already stored in long-term memory.
Elaboration
Involves basic processing, such as recognizing the physical features of words
Shallow encoding
Involves a slightly deeper level of processing, such as rhyming words
Intermediate encoding
Involves a thorough understanding of the material, such as relating it to a meaningful context or sentence
Deep encoding
Encoding strategy where individuals are better at remembering information when they relate it to themselves
Self-reference effect
imagining something from a personal perspective
Self-imagining
Strategy that involves rearranging information into a meaningful network of associations
Heirarchical organization
Studying in shorter, spaced-out sessions leads to better memory performance compared to cramming all at once
Spacing effect
The act of accessing memories
Retrieval
Enhanced memory after retrieval practice (exams)
Testing effect
Enhanced memory for a selfgenerated list of items, relative to items that were
passively memorized
Generation effect
essential for memory recall. They are clues in the environment or in our stored representations of experiences that help us access memories
Retrieval cues
Phenomenon where memory recall is improved when the retrieval context matches the learning context.
- participants recalled more words when tested in the same environment where they learned them, such as on land versus underwater
Context-dependent memory
Memory recall is improved when the internal state at retrieval matches the internal state at encoding.
- if you study while feeling happy, you may recall that information better when you are happy again.
State-dependent memory
The memory of events in one’s life.
- It involves mental time travel and has strong links with imagination
- A related concept is infantile amnesia
Autobiographical memory
The inability to remember the earliest years of our lives, typically before the age of 3 or 4 years old.
Infantile amnesia
