Chapter 7 Memory Flashcards
Memory Illusion
a false but subjectively compelling memory
Memory
retention of information overtime; memories are highly reconstructive
The Paradox of Memory
The same memory mechanisms that serve us well in most circumstances can sometimes cause us problems in others
Hyperthymestic Syndrome
exceptional memory of life events; likely caused by differences in brain structure, especially the brain regions involved in autobiographical memory
Three Major Systems of Memory
sensory; short-term; long-term; all vary in capacity and duration
Sensory Memory
brief storage of perceptual information before it is passed to short-term memory; raw materials of our experiences; perceptions of the world; holds this information for a few seconds; buys our brains extra time to process incoming sensations
Iconic Memory
visual sensory memory
Echoic Memory
auditory sensory memory; can last 5 to 10 seconds
Short-Term Memory
memory system that retains information for limited durations; lasts no longer than about 20 seconds;
Working Memory
part of short-term memory; our ability to hold onto information we’re currently thinking about, attending to or processing actively;
Decay
fading of information from memory over time; as we create new memories our old ones gradually fade away;
Interference
loss of information from memory because of competition from additional incoming information; more likely to occur when the old and new stimuli that we’ve learned are similar;
Retroactive Interference
when learning something new hampers earlier learning; new interferes with old
Proactive Interference
when earlier learning gets in the way of new learning; old interferes with new
Magic Number
capacity of short term memory; 7 +or- 2
Chunking
organizing information into meaningful groupings allowing us to extend the span/capacity of short term memory
Rehearsal
repeating information to extend the duration of retention in short-term memory
Maintenance Rehearsal
repeating stimuli in their original form to retain them in short-term memory
Elaborative Rehearsal
linking stimuli to each other in a meaningful way to improve retention of information in short-term memory
Levels of Processing
depth of transforming information which influences how easily we remember it; semantic processing tends to produce more enduring long-term memories as opposed to visual or phonological processing
Long-Term Memory
relatively enduring (minutes -> years) retention of information stored regarding our facts, experiences, and skills
Permastore
type of long-term memory that appears to be permanent
Long-Term vs Short-Term Memory Errors
long-term memory errors tend to be semantic (misremember meaning) ; short-term memory errors tend to be acoustic (misremember what we heard)
Types of Long-Term Memory
Semantic and Episodic
Semantic Memory
our knowledge of facts about the world
Episodic Memory
recollection of events in our lives
Explicit Memory
memories we recall intentionally and of which we have conscious awareness
Implicit Memory
memories we don’t deliberately remember or reflect on consciously; subtypes are procedural and priming; also includes habituation and conditioning;
Procedural Memory
memory for how to do things, including motor skills and habits
Damage to Temporal Lobes/Hippocampus
harms explicit memory but leaves implicit entirely intact
Priming
our ability to identify a stimulus more easily or more quickly after we’ve encountered similar stimuli
Three Major Processes of Memory
encoding; storage; retrieval; explain how information passes into long-term memory and gets back out again when we need it
Encoding
getting information into our memory
mnemonic
a learning aid, strategy, or device that enhances recall
Pegword Method
mnemonic that uses rhyming
Method of Loci
mnemonic using place imagery
Keyword Method
mnemonic for language learning, reminder words
Storage
keeping information in memory
Schema
organized knowledge structure or mental model that we’ve stored in memory; helps simplify but may lead to memory distortions
Retrieval
reactivation or reconstruction of experiences from our memory stores
Retrograde Amnesia
lose memories from our past
Anterograde Amnesia
inability to encode new memories from our experiences
Hippocampus & Memory
factual component of memories
Amygdala & Memory
emotional component of memories
Meta-Memory
knowledge about our own memory abilities and limitations
Infantile Amnesia
inability of adults to remember personal experiences that took place before an early age
Flashbulb Memory
emotional memory that is extraordinarily vivid and detailed; dont decay;
Source Monitoring Confusion
lack of clarity about the origin of a memory
Cryptomnesia
failure to recognize that our ideas originated with someone else
Suggestive Memory Technique
procedure that encourages patients to recall memories that may or may not have taken place
Misinformation Effect
creation of fictitious memories by providing misleading information about an event after it takes place
Learning tips to remember better
- spread out study time 2. test yourself on the material 3. connect new knowledge with existing knowledge 4. process ideas deeply and meaningfully (put notes in your own words) 5. mnemonic devices - reminders or cues connecting old material with new
7 Sins of Memory
- Suggestibility
- Misattribution
- Bias
- Transcience
- Persistence
- Blocking
- Absentmindedness
Hysterical Amnesia
psychological trauma
Traumatic Amnesia
brain damage
Korsakoff’s Amnesia
alcohol abuse
Why we remember what we remember
primacy effect, recency effect, distinctiveness, associations, reconstruction
Influences on Retrieval
context effect (Godden + Baddeley), state dependent memory effect
