Chapter 8: Remembering Complex Events Flashcards
Intrusion errors
Memory error in which a person recalls elements that were not part of the original episode
DRM paradigm
Commonly used experimental design for eliciting and studying memory errors
A person sees or hears a list of words related to a single theme
The word that names the theme is not included
Nonetheless, people are likely to remember later that the theme word was presented
Schema
Knowledge describing what is typical or frequent in a particular situation
Misinformation effect
An effect in which reports about an earlier event are influenced by misinformation that the person received after experiencing an event
Misinformation can sometimes be used to create false memories concerning an entire event that never actually occurred
Retention interval
Amount of time that passes between the initial learning of some material and the subsequent retrieval of said material
Decay theory of forgetting
Hypothesis that with the passage of time, memories may fade or erode
Interference theory
Hypothesis that materials are lost from memory because of interference from other materials that are also in memory
Interference caused by materials learned prior to the learning episode is called “proactive interference”
Interference after is “retroactive interference”
Retrieval failure
A memory IS in LTM, BUT the person is unable to locate it when attempting to retrieve it
TOT phenomenon
“Tip of the tongue”
A word is in your vocabulary, but you cannot quite remember it
Autobiographical memory
Aspect of memory that records the episodes and events of one’s life
Consolidation
Biological process through which new memories are “cemented in place,” acquiring some degree of permanence through the creation of new or altered neural connections
Flashbulb memory
A memory of extraordinary clarity, usually a highly emotional event, retained over many years
Can be inaccurate
