Chapter 9 first half Flashcards
Flashbulb memories
a clear memory of an emotionally significant moment or event.
Memory
the persistence of learning over time through the storage and retrieval of information.
Encoding
the processing of information into the memory system—for example, by extracting meaning.
Storage
: the retention of encoded information over time.
Retrieval
the 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 dialing, before the information is stored or forgotten.
Long-term memory
the relatively permanent and limitless storehouse of the memory system. Includes knowledge, skills, and experiences
Working memory
a newer understanding of short-term memory that involves conscious, active processing of incoming auditory and visual-spatial information, and of information retrieved from long-term memory.
Automatic processing
unconscious encoding of incidental information, such as space, time, and frequency, and of well-learned information, such as word meanings.
Effortful processing
encoding that requires attention and conscious effort.
Rehearsal
the conscious repetition of information, either to maintain it in consciousness or to encode it for storage.
Spacing effect
We retain information better when we rehearse over time.
Serial position effect
our tendency to recall best the last and first items in a list.
Visual encoding
the encoding of picture images.
Acoustic encoding
the encoding of sound, especially the sound of words.
Semantic encoding
the encoding of meaning, including the meaning of words.
Imagery
mental pictures; a powerful aid to effortful processing, especially when combined with semantic encoding.
Mnemonic devices
memory aids, especially those techniques that use vivid imagery and organizational devices.
Chunking
organizing items into familiar, manageable units; often occurs automatically.
Hierarchies
organizing a few broad concepts by dividing and subdividing them into narrower concepts and facts.
Self-reference effect
is the tendency for individuals to have better memory for information that relates to oneself in comparison to material that has less personal relevance.
Rosy retrospection
refers to the finding that subjects later rate past events more positively than they had actually rated them when the event occured
Method of loci
This is a mnemonic device or technique in which a person visualizes the items they’re trying to learn in different spatial locations. To do this, the person associates the items with landmarks in some familiar place, which helps them recall the items later.
