Exam #2 Chapter 6: Memory Flashcards
What is encoding?
Converting environmental & mental stimuli into memorable brain codes
- What is Storage?
Holding on” to encoded information
- What is Retrieval?
a. Pulling information from storage
- Explain the Atkinson Shiffrin Model.
a. (1) Sensory memory- hold information in its original form only for an instant
i. Capacity: Sperling’s experiment suggested a capacity of 9-12 items
ii. Duration: is very brief with most gone in less than 1 second
b. (2) Short Term Memory- Memory system in which information is held for brief periods of time while being used
i. Capacity: The digit span test suggests the average capacity is between 5-9 items
ii. Duration: only lasts for roughly 30 seconds
c. (3) Long term memory: permanent type of memory that holds huge amounts of information for a long period of time
i. Storage and duration are thought to be unlimited
- What is chunking?
a. grouping units into higher order units that can be remembered
- What is the Levels-of-Processing Model?
a. Assumes information that is more “deeply processed,” or processed according to its meaning rather than just the sound or physical characteristics of the word or words, will be remembered
more efficiently and for a longer period of time
- What is Declarative Memory and what are the subsets of it?
Declarative memory (explicit): conscious recollection of information such as specific facts or events
i. Semantic memory: involves general knowledge
ii. Episodic memory: retention of autobiographical information
- What is a Nondeclarative Memories and what is a subset of it?
a. (Implicit) Behavior is affected by prior experience without that experience being consciously recollected (remembered)
i. Procedural Memory: memory for skills that often don’t require direct attention and continual conscious awareness to learn and improve
- What is Priming?
a. a type of incidental learning where exposure to events that influence future behavioral, emotional, and/or cognitive responses, which are generally unintentional
- What are the Retrieval Cues and tasks?
a. Recall- memory task without cues
b. Recognition- memory task with cues to help recognize learned items
- What is State dependent memory?
a. People recall information better when they are in the same psychological state or mood as learning
- What is the serial position effect?
a. If given a list, only the beginning and end of the list will be memorized better than the middle
i. Primary Effect: Good at memorizing things in the beginning of the list
ii. Recency Effect: Good at memorizing things in the beginning of the list
- What is an encoding failure?
a. (Possibilities for Forgetting) Information never makes it into storage (long term memory)
- What is retrieval failure?
a. Forgetting can result from failure to retrieve information from long term memory
- What is the Proactive Intererence?
a. Information learned EARLIER (list A) interferes with information learned LATER (list B)
