Chapter 9 Key Terms Flashcards
the persistence of learning over time through the storage and retrieval of information
memory
a clear memory of an emotionally significant moment or event
flashbulb memory
processing of information into the memory system- for ex., by extracting meaning
encoding
the retention of encoded information over time
storage
the process of getting information out of memory storage
retrieval
immediate, very brief recording of sensory info in the memory system
sensory memory
activated memory that holds a few items briefly before the information is stored or forgotten (such as the seven digits of a phone number while dialing)
short-term memory
the relatively permanent and limitless storehouse of the memory system; includes knowledge, skills, and experiences
long-term 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
working memory
coordinate auditory & visual-spatial elements in working memory
central executive processor
unconscious encoding of incidental information, such as space, time, and frequency, and of well-learned information, such as word meanings
automatic processing
encoding that requires attention and conscious effort
effortful processing
the conscious repetition of information, either to maintain it in consciousness or to encode it for storage
rehearsal
poorest memories are for what was said by the person just before them
next-in-line effect
the tendency for distributed study or practice to yield better long term retention than is achieved through massed study or practice
spacing effect
our tendency to recall best the last and first items in a list
serial position effect:
the encoding of picture images
visual encoding
the encoding of sound, especially the sound of words
acoustic encoding
the encoding of meaning, including the meaning of words
semantic encoding
asked how well adjectives describe yourself, remember the words better
self-reference effect
mental pictures; a powerful aid to effortful processing, especially when combined with semantic encoding
imagery
people tend to recall events more positively than at the time it occurred
rosy retrospection
memory aids, especially techniques using vivid imagery & organizational devices
mnemonics
organizing items into familiar, manageable units; often occurs automatically
chunking
a momentary sensory memory of visual stimuli; a photographic or picture-image memory lasting no more than a few tenths of a second
iconic memory
a momentary sensory memory of auditory stimuli; if attention is elsewhere, sounds and words can still be recalled within 3 or 4 seconds
echoic memory
an increase in a synapse’s firing potential after brief, rapid stimulation; believed to be a neural basis for learning and memory
long-term potentiation (LTP)
the loss of memory
amnesia
retention independent of conscious recollection
implicit (procedural) memory
memory of facts and experiences that one can consciously know and “declare”
explicit (declarative) memory
a neural center that is located in the limbic system and helps process explicit memories for storage
hippocampus
reactions and skills learned during infancy reach far into our future, yet as adults we cannot recall anything (explicitly) of our first three years
infantile amnesia
a measure of memory in which the person must retrieve information learned earlier, as on a fill-in-the-blank test
recall
a measure of memory in which the person need only identify items previously learned, as on a multiple-choice test
recognition
a memory measure that assesses the amount of time saved when learning material for a second time
relearning
anchor points you use to access target info when you want to retrieve it later
retrieval cues
the activation, often unconsciously, of particular associations in memory
priming
memory without explicit remembering
“memoryless memory”
that eerie sense that “I’ve experienced this before;” cues from the current situation may subconsciously trigger retrieval of an earlier experience
déjà vu
what we learn in one state is sometimes most easily recalled when we are in that state again
state-dependent memory
the tendency to recall experiences that are consistent with one’s current good or bad mood
mood-congruent memory
inattention to details produces encoding failure
absent-mindedness
storage decay over time
transience
inaccessibility of stored information
blocking
confusing the source of information
misattribution
the lingering effects of misinformation
suggestibility
belief-colored recollections
bias
unwanted memories
persistence
the disruptive effect of prior learning on the recall of new information
proactive interference
the disruptive effect of new learning on the recall of old information
retroactive interference
old information can facilitate our learning of new information
positive transfer
in psychoanalytic theory, the basic defense mechanism that banishes from consciousness anxiety-arousing thoughts, feelings, and memories
repression
incorporating misleading information into one’s memory of an event
misinformation effect
more likely to think they had actually done such things the first time
imagination inflation
attributing to the wrong source an event we have experienced, hear about, read about, or imagined; at the heart of many false memories
source amnesia (source misattribution)
