Chapter 8 - Everyday Memory and Memory Errors

Question 1

Synaptic Consolidation

Answer 1

Repeated experience cases changes at the level of the synapse; Changes occur quickly, over a matter of minutes

Question 2

Systems Consolidation

Answer 2

Repeated retrievals cause changes in the organization of neural circuits
that represent memories; Changes occur gradually, over days, months or even years.

Question 3

Consolidation

Answer 3

processes that change an
initially encoded memory into a permanent memory

Question 4

Reconsolidation

Answer 4

processes that restore a
memory to a more permanent form after it has been
retrieved

Question 5

False Memory Retrieval

Answer 5

the way we word things in our brain is the way we tend to remember them (language influences memory) ex. those who saw the film and used the word “smashed” remember broken glass when there wasn’t any compared to those who used the word “hit”

Question 6

Eye Witness Coding

Answer 6

1. Weak Encoding (limited exposure).
2. Selective Encoding (weapon focus).
3. Distortion during storage

Question 7

Childhood Amnesia

Answer 7

Study showed that amnesia for events before 3 years of age begins to happen at about 7 years of age

Question 8

Memories that Survive Childhood Amnesia

Answer 8

1. Highly Emotional
2. Develop Story Around Event (parents maintain memories)

Question 9

Autobiographical Memory

Answer 9

memory for specific experiences from our life; include semantic and episodic components.
Difference from episodic - memories that directly involve oneself.

Question 10

Flashbulb Memories

Answer 10

memories that are vivid and can be recalled perfectly (tend to be very signficant) - type of autobiographical memory

Question 11

Hypermnesia

Answer 11

unusual power or enhancement of memory (may be related to OCD)

Question 12

reminiscence bump

Answer 12

enhanced memory for adolescence and young adulthood found in people over 40

self-image
cognitive
cultural

Question 13

self-image hypothesis

Answer 13

memory is enhanced for events that occur as a person’s self-image or life identity is being formed

Question 14

cognitive hypothesis

Answer 14

periods of rapid change that are followed by stability cause stronger encoding of memories; Adolescence and young adulthood fit this description because the rapid changes, such as going away to school, getting married, and starting a career, that occur during these periods are followed by the relative stability of adult life

Question 15

cultural life script

Answer 15

culturally expected events that occur at a particular time in the life span

Question 15

cultural life script hypothesis

Answer 15

a person’s life story

Question 16

youth bias

Answer 16

tendency for the most notable public events in a per- son’s life to be perceived to occur when the person is young

Question 17

illusory truth effect

Answer 17

enhanced probability of evaluating a statement as being true upon repeated presentation

Question 18

fluency

Answer 18

the ease with which a statement can be remembered

Question 19

cognitive interview

Answer 19

letting the witness talk with a minimum of interruption and also uses techniques that help witnesses recreate the situation present at the crime scene by having them place themselves back in the scene and recreate things like emotions they were feeling, where they were looking, and how the scene might have appeared when viewed from different perspectives

Question 20

nostalgia

Answer 20

memory that involves a sentimental affection for the past

Question 21

music-enhanced autobiographical memories (MEAMS).

Answer 21

Memories elicited by hearing music

Question 22

Proust effect

Answer 22

taste and olfaction unlocked memories he hadn’t thought of for years