Cog Psych Ch. 6 Key Terms

Question 1

Accessibility

Answer 1

The degree to which a piece of information can be recalled, given certain retrieval cues

Question 2

Amnesia

Answer 2

memory loss due to brain damage

Question 3

Availability

Answer 3

whether or not information is actually stored in memory

Question 4

Context-dependency effects

Answer 4

recall is better when recall context matches encoding context
-study in office, take exam in office=better chance to recall info

Question 5

Cued recall

Answer 5

explicit memory test in which some hint (i.e.-cue) is given to aid retrieval

Question 6

Declarative memory

Answer 6

the conscious forms a memory, such as retrieving memory for facts and events

Question 7

Distinctiveness

Answer 7

the degree to which information is distinguished from other information in memory

Question 8

Distributed repetition

Answer 8

repeated presentations spread out over time

Question 9

Elaboration

Answer 9

degree to which information is well specified, described, and/or related o other information in memory

Question 10

Elaborative rehearsal

Answer 10

formation of links between material to be remembered and information already stored in memory

Question 11

Encoding

Answer 11

processes involved in the acquisition of material

Question 12

Encoding specificity principle

Answer 12

states that the retrieval of info in memory will be effective to the degree that the cues present at retrieval match the information that was present at encoding

Question 13

Episodic memory

Answer 13

the memory for personally experienced events that include contextual elements

Question 14

Explicit (direct) memory tests

Answer 14

memory tests that involve the conscious recollection of some specific event or episode from the past

Question 15

Implicit (indirect) memory tests

Answer 15

memory tests in which successful performance does not depend on conscious recollection of some specific event or episode from the past

Question 16

Incidental learning

Answer 16

conditions in which a memory test is not expected

Question 17

Individual-item processing

Answer 17

the degree to which we process information in terms of individual characteristics; aided by conditions that lead to distinctive processing

Question 18

intentional learning

Answer 18

conditions in which a memory test is expected

Question 19

levels-of-processing theory

Answer 19

theory emphasizing the notion that memory depends on how information is processed at encoding

Question 20

Maintenance rehearsal

Answer 20

mental practice that consists simply of repeating information over and over

Question 21

massed repetition

Answer 21

repeated presentations that occur closely together over time. (cramming for a test)

Question 22

organization

Answer 22

the degree to which incoming info is, or can be, structured

Question 23

priming

Answer 23

benefit gained in performance from having previously seen a word

Question 24

procedural memory

Answer 24

the nonconscious forms of memory, such as priming and the learning of skills and habits

Question 25

recall

Answer 25

explicit memory test in which participants must retrieve information given relatively little information

Question 26

recognition

Answer 26

explicit memory test in which participants must discriminate items previously presented from new items

Question 27

rehearsal

Answer 27

mental practice

Question 28

repetition

Answer 28

the presentation of an item more than once

Question 29

retrieval

Answer 29

processes that lead to the reactivation of a memory

Question 30

retrieval cues

Answer 30

reminders; information that assists in the reactivation of stored information

Question 31

retrieval failure

Answer 31

forgetting that occurs due to a lack of appropriate retrieval cues

Question 32

retrospective memory test

Answer 32

memory test that involves remembering information from the past

Question 33

self-reference effect

Answer 33

material that is related to the self tends to be well remembered

Question 34

semantic memory

Answer 34

the knowledge or information about the world that does not include contextual elements

Question 35

spacing effect

Answer 35

the advantage of distributed repetitions over massed repetitions

Question 36

storage

Answer 36

the retention of a memory representation

Question 37

testing effect

Answer 37

the finding that periodic retrieval of information is an effective means of improving LTM for that information

Question 38

transfer-appropriate processing

Answer 38

degree to which the processing performed at encoding maps onto the processes required at retrieval

Question 39

word-fragment completion

Answer 39

an implicit memory test in which fragmented words are presented for completion

Question 40

word-stem completion

Answer 40

implicit memory test requiring participants to complete a three-letter stem with the first word that comes to mind