Cognitive Psychology Vocab Flashcards
the persistence of learning over time through the encoding, storage, and retrieval of information
memory
a measure of memory in which the person must retrieve information learned earlier
ex: fill in the blank test
recall
a measure of memory in which the person identifies items previously learned
ex: multiple choice test
recognition
a measure of memory that assesses the amount of time saved when learning material again
ex: studying for midterms at school
relearning
the process of getting information into the memory system
ex: someone gives you their phone number
encoding
the process of retaining encoded information over time
ex: you remember the phone number for future reference
storage
the process of getting information out of memory storage
ex: deciding to call the person and remembering their phone number to type
retrieval
processing many aspects of a problem simultaneously; the brain’s natural mode of information processing for many functions
ex: when you see a car coming, you process its shape, color, and size all at once
parallel processing
the immediate, very brief recording of sensory information in the memory system
ex: feeling a raindrop, your memory records the sensation so that you can recognize it
sensory memory
activated memory that holds a few items briefly, such as digits of a phone number while calling, before the information is stored or forgotten
short-term memory
the relatively permanent and limitless storehouse of the memory system (includes knowledge, skills, and experiences)
ex: a wedding, birthday, any important day/event
long-term memory
a newer understanding of short-term memory that adds conscious, active processing of incoming auditory and visual information, and of information retrieved from long-term memory
ex: linking information you’re reading to information you already previously knew
working memory
retention of facts and experiences that one can consciously know and “declare”
ex: knowing how many continents there are, remembering how to solve a math problem
explicit memory
retention of learned skills or classically conditioned associations independent of conscious recollection (also called nondeclarative memory)
ex: riding a bike, singing a familiar song, brushing your teeth
implicit memory
encoding that requires attention and conscious effort
ex: reading something and understanding or trying to memorize your class schedule
effortful processing
unconscious encoding of incidental information and of well learned information
ex: space, time, frequency, word meanings
automatic processing
a momentary sensory memory of visual stimuli, a picture-image memory lasting no more than a few tenths of a second
ex: seeing a billboard while driving by in a car, riding a train and seeing a cow pasture
iconic memory
a momentary sensory memory of auditory stimuli; if attention is elsewhere, sounds and words can still be recalled within 3-4 seconds
ex: you’re in class and your attention drifts to thoughts of the weekend; suddenly your teacher says, “what did I just say?”; you can recover the last few words
echoic memory
organizing items into familiar, manageable units; often occurs automatically
ex: you hear the number sequence 4-2-3-5 but memorize it as 42-35
chunking
memory aids, especially those techniques that use vivid imagery and organizational devices
ex: in this sequence of words: bicycle, void, cigarette, inherent, fire; you are most likely to remember bicycle, cigarette, and fire because they have a visual image
mnemonics
the tendency for distributed study or practice to yield better long-term retention than is achieved through massed study or practice
ex: Mia studies in each week, whereas Sarah studies the night before the test; Mia gets a better score
spacing effect
enhanced memory after retrieving, rather than simply rereading, information; sometimes referred to as retrieval practice effect
ex: if you read a piece of text through twenty times, you will not learn it by heart so easily as if you read it ten times while attempting to recite it from time to time and consulting the text when your memory fails
testing effect
encoding on a basic level, based on the structure or appearance of words
ex: elementary level, bases words off letters or sounds
shallow processing
encoding semantically, based on the meaning of the words; tends to yield the best retention
ex: analyzing text and critical thinking
deep processing
explicit memory of facts and general knowledge; one of our two conscious memory systems
ex: specific details like where George Washington lived, where Shakespeare was born, or what did people in Egypt eat in the 1400s
semantic memory
explicit memory of personally experienced events; one of our two conscious memory systems
ex: where you parked your car this morning, the dinner you had with your friend last month, your mom’s birthday
episodic memory
a neural center located in the limbic system; helps process explicit (conscious) memories- of facts and events- for storage
ex: learning speeches or lines in a play
hippocampus
the neural storage of a long-term memory
memory consolidation
a clear, sustained memory of an emotionally significant moment or event
ex: assassination of JFK, 9/11
flashbulb memory
an increase in a cell’s firing potential after brief, rapid stimulation; a neural basis for learning and memory
long term potentiation
the activation, often unconsciously, of particular associations in memory
ex: a child sees a bag of candy next to a red bench; the next time they see a bench they think of/look for candy
priming
