Chapter 8: Memory Flashcards
Memory is the process of - (3 things)
encoding, storing, retrieval
What is encoding?
The input of info. into the memory system
What is storing?
The act of retention
Automatic processing is encoded WITHOUT
conscious effort (e.g. remembering a time)
Effortful processing
done with conscious effort (e.g. remembering a concept)
Semantic encoding
The encoding of words and their meanings
Self-reference effect
better memory if we can relate it to ourselves
Sensory memory
storage of brief sensory events, such as sights, sounds, and tastes. It is very brief storage—up to a couple of seconds.
Short-term memory (STM)
temporary storage system processing incoming sensory info. (lasting 15-30 secs.)
Rehearsal
moves info. from short-term memory to long-term memory
Explicit memories
Memories we consciously try to remember/retain
Episodic memories
memories of events we have personally experienced
Implicit memories
long-term memories that are not part of our consciousness
Procedural memories
how to do something
Equipotentiality Hypothesis
if part of one area of the brain involved in memory is damaged, another part of the same area can take over that memory function
How does amygdala help store memories?
The main job of the amygdala is to regulate emotions, such as fear. The amygdala plays a part in how memories are stored because storage is influenced by stress hormones.
Arousal theory
strong emotions trigger the formation of strong memories, and weaker emotional experiences form weaker memories
Flashbulb memory
an exceptionally clear recollection of an important event
Anterograde amnesia
you cannot remember new information, although you can remember information and events that happened prior to your injury.
Retrograde amnesia
loss of memory for events that occurred prior to the trauma
Misinformation effect paradigm
after exposure to new information, a person may misremember the original event.
False memory syndrome
Recall of false autobiographical memories
Transience
accessibility of memory decreases over time
absentmindedness
forgetting caused by lapses in attention
Blocking
accessibility of info. is temporarily blocked
Misattribution
source of memory is confused
Suggestibility
false memories
Bias
memories distorted by belief system
Persistence
inability to forget undesirable memories
Proactive interference
when old information hinders the recall of newly learned information.
Retroactive interference
when information learned more recently hinders the recall of older information
Elaborative rehearsal
a technique in which you think about the meaning of new information and its relation to knowledge already stored in your memory
Memory consolidation
info. saved to long-term memory
2 types of explicit memory
Episodic, semantic
2 types of implicit memory
Procedural, emotional
Repression is a form of forgetting proposed by
Freud
Suppression
conscious forcing of unwanted info. out of our awareness
Method of Loci
attach images to what you want to remember
