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)
