Chapter 7 Flashcards
encoding
forming a memory code
storage
maintaing encoded information in memory over time
attention
focusing awareness on a narrowed stage of stimuli or events
structural encoding
emphasizes the physical structure of a stimulus
shallowest
phonemic encoding
what a word sounds like
semantic encoding
meaning of verbal input
highest
levels-of-processing theory
deeper levels of processing result in longer lasting memories
elaboration
linking a stimulus to other information at the time of encoding
dual-coding theory
memory is enhanced by forming semantic and visual codes, since either can read to recall
self-referent encoding
deciding how or whether information is personally relevant
sensory memory
preserves information in its original sensory form for a brief time usually only a fraction of a second
short-term memory
a limited-capacity store that can maintain unrehearsed information for about 10-20 seconds
chunk
group of familiar stimuli stored as a unit
working memory capacity (WMC)
refers to one’s ability to hold and manipulate information in conscious attention
long-term memory
an unlimited capacity store that can hold information over lengthy periods of time
flashbulb memories
unusually vivid and detailed recollections of the circumstances in which people learned about momentous, newsworthy events
conceptual heirarchy
a multilevel classification system based on common properties among items
schema
an organized cluster of knowledge about a particular object or event abstracted from previous experience with the object or event
semantic network
consists of nodes representing concepts joined together by pathways that link related concepts
connectionist or parallel distributed processing models (PDP)
assume that cognitive processes depend on patterns of activation in highly interconnected computational networks that resemble neural networks, specific memories correspond to specific patterns of activation
tip-of-the-tongue phenomenon
temporary inability to remember something you know with the feeling that it’s just out of reach
misinformation effect
participants recall of an event they witnessed is altered by introducing misleading post-event information
reality monitoring
the process of deciding whether memories are based on external sources or internal sources
source monitoring
making attributions about the origins of memories
destination memory
remembering who we’ve told what
retention
the proportion of material remembered
recall measure of retention
requires subjects to reproduce information on their own without any cues
recognition measure of retention
requires subjects to select previously learned information from an array of options
relearning measure of retention
requires participants to memorize information a second time to determine how much time or how many practice trials are saved by having learned it before
ineffective encoding
never really learned it
decay
forgetting occurs because memory fades with time
retroactive interference
can’t remember old info because of new info
proactive interference
can’t remember new info because of old info
transfer-appropriate processing
initial processing of information is similar to the type of processing required by the subsequent measure of retention
repression
keeping depressing thoughts buried deep in the unconscious
long-term potentiation (LTP)
a long lasting increase in neural excitability along a specific neural pathway
retrograde amnesia
loss of memories for events that occurred prior to onset of amnesia (trauma)
anterograde amnesia
loss of memories that occur after the onset of amnesia (trauma)
declarative memory system
handles factual information
non-declarative memory system
houses memory for actions, skills, conditioned and emotional responses
episodic memory system
chronological or temporally dated recollections of personal experience
semantic memory system
general knowledge that is not tied to the time when information was learned
prospective memory
remembering to perform actions in the future
retrospective memory
remembering events from the past or previously learned information
link method
forming a mental image of items to be remembered in a way that links them together
method of loci
taking an imaginary walk along a familiar path where images of items to be remembered are associated with certain locations
hindsight bias
tendency to mold one’s interpretation of the past to fit how events actually turned out
