Chapter 8 Flashcards
Memory
Persistence of learning over time through the encoding, storage, and retrieval of information
Recall
A measure of memory in which the person must retrieve information learned earlier, as in on a full in the blank test
Recognition
A measure of memory in which the person identifies items previously learned, as in a multiple choice test
Relearning
A measure of memory that assesses the amount of time saved when learning material again
Encoding
Process of getting information into memory system/aka our brain
Ex) Sensory information from the environment, our brains label or code it without us realizing it.
Storage
Process of retaining encoded information over time
Retrieval
Process of getting information out of memory storage
Sensory memory
The immediate, very brief recording of sensory information in the memory system
Short term memory
Activated memory that holds a few items briefly, such as the seven digits of a phone number while calling, before the information is stored or forgotten
Long term memory
The relatively permanent and limitless storehouse of the memory system; included knowledge, skills, and experiences.
Explicit memory
(Aka declarative memory)
Memory of facts and experiences that one can consciously know and “declare”. We encode explicit memories through conscious effort full processing
Implicit memory
(Aka non-declarative memory)
Retention of learned skills or classically conditioned associations independent of conscious recollection. We encode implicit memories through automatic processing, without our awareness.
Sensory Memory
Sensory memory feeds our active working memory, recording momentary images of scenes or echoes of sounds.
Two types of sensory memory
iconic memory and echoic memory
Iconic Memory
Picture-image memory of visual stimuli lasting no
more than a few tenths of a second
Echoic Memory
Sound memory of auditory stimuli; can be recalled
within 3 or 4 seconds
Chunking
Organization of items into familiar,
manageable units; often occurs automatically
Mnemonics
Memory aids, especially techniques that
use vivid imagery and organizational devices
HIerarchies
Organization of items into a few broad
categories that are divided and subdivided into narrower concepts and facts
Spacing Effect
Encoding is more effective when it is spread
over time.
Testing Effect
Enhanced memory after retrieving, rather than
simply rereading, information. Repeated self-testing (using the Retrieve It and Testing Effect questions in this text, for example) does more than assess learning: It improves it
Shallow processing
encodes on a very basic level (word’s letters) or a more intermediate level (word’s sound)
Deep Processing
encodes semantically, based on word meaning
Semantic Memory
Explicit memory of facts and general
knowledge
Episodic memory
Explicit memory of personally
experienced events.
Hippocampus
a neural center located in the limbic
system; registers and temporarily holds elements of explicit memories before moving them to other brain regions for long-term storage.
memory consolidation
Neural storage of long-term memories
Flashbulb memories
clear memories of emotionally significant moments or events, occur via emotion-triggered hormonal changes and rehearsal.
Frontal lobes and hippocampus
explicit memory formation
Cerebellum and basal ganglia
implicit memory formation
Amygdala
emotion-related memory formation
Priming
Activation, often unconsciously, of particular associations in memory
Context-dependent memory
Involves improved recall of specific information
when the context present at encoding and retrieval are the same
State-dependent memory
Emotions that accompany good or bad events
become retrieval cues
Mood-congruent memory
The tendency to recall experiences that are consistent with one’s current good or bad mood
Anterograde amnesia
An inability to form new conscious memories.
Retrograde amnesia
An inability to retrieve information
from one’s past (old information stored in long-term memory)
Proactive (forward-acting) interference
Occurs when prior learning disrupts recall of new information.
Retroactive
(backward-acting)
interference
Occurs when new learning disrupts recall of older information.
Motivated Forgetting
Sigmund Freud argued that we repress painful or unacceptable memories to protect our self-concept and to minimize anxiety.
Reconsolidation
A process in which previously stored memories, when retrieved, are potentially altered before being stored again.
Misinformation effect
When a memory has been corrupted by misleading information
Source amnesia (also called source misattribution)
attributing to the wrong source an event we have experienced, heard about, read about, or imagined.
Déjà vu
Cues from the current situation may unconsciously trigger retrieval of an earlier experience.
