Human Memory Flashcards
Visouspatial sketchpad
A subsystem in working memory - “slave system” for maintaining visual information
Why do we remember meaningful information better?
It already has a representation in the long-term memory
What is the depth of processing theory?
We are more likely to remember something if the material is rehearsed in a deep and meaningful way
What do you call a unit in Baddeley’s theory of the rehearsal processes that is superior to the two slave systems?
The central executive
What is the process by which currently attended items can make associated memories more available?
Spreading activation
What is ‘priming’?
When processing a term makes us associate it with others, anticipating contextually related terms
The power law of learning
The principle that memory performance improves as a power function of practice.
What is declarative memory?
Memory for facts, data and events. Things we can “declare”, easily talk about. Also called explicit memory.
Baddeleys working memory model
We have different subsystems for visual and auditory input
Central executive - Controls everything and distributes tasks
Visuospatial sketchpad - “Slave system” for maintaining visual information (inner eye)
Phonological loop - For rehearsing verbal information
Articulatory control - “inner voice”
Phonological store - “inner ear”
What is elaborative processing?
A method of memorization that connects information you already know with new information, leading to stronger retention.
What are flashbulb memories?
Vivid, detailed, long-lasting memories of emotionally charged events.
What is the process called, where repeated stimulation of neurons strengthens their connections, making future signals between them more efficient?
Long-term potentiation (LTP)
What areas are long-term potentiation (LTP) associated with and why is it important for memory?
It is primarily associated with the hippocampus and cortical areas. It is critical for memory formation and learning, as it enhances synaptic transmission.
What is the Method of Loci?
A mnemonic technique. It uses imagined physical locations to aid memory.
What are mnemonics?
Techniques to improve memory by forming vivid associations and organizing informations
What is non-declarative memory?
Non-declarative memory (implicit memory) refers to unconscious memories that influence behavior without conscious awareness. It includes skills, habits, and conditioned responses.
Which brain structures are associated with non-declarative memory?
Basal ganglia and cerebellum
What is the partial-report procedure?
In the partial-report procedure, participants are shown a brief visual display and asked to recall only a specific portion of the information (e.g., one row of letters). It reveals that more information is stored in iconic memory than can be recalled using the whole-report method.
What is also called the iconic memory?
The visual sensory store
What is the visual sensory store?
The visual sensory store is a brief stage of memory that holds visual information for about 1 second. It allows us to retain a fleeting image of our environment, which helps in stabilizing visual input across movements like eye blinks or saccades.
What is the whole-report procedure?
In the whole-report procedure, participants are asked to recall all the items from a briefly presented display (e.g., 12 letters). Typically, people can recall about 4-5 items, which suggests that information in iconic memory decays quickly.
Which area of the brain is Involved in the creation and retrieval of memories?
The prefrontal regions
What area of the brain is involved in maintaining information in working memory?
Parietal areas
Which area of the brain is responsible for the permanent storage of memories?
The hippocampus and surrounding structures in the temporal cortex
What seems to be important for the procedural memory?
The basal ganglia and the cerebellum
What is the term for a memory system that can briefly store auditory information? Also called echoic memory
Auditory sensory store
What is the term for the amount of information that can be perfectly retained in an immediate test of memory?
Memory span
What is a phonological loop?
A system for rehearsing verbal information
What is also called the “inner ear” that stores the information in a phonological form?
The phonological store
Which part of the brain is activated when we use the phonological store?
Activation in the parietal-temporal region
Information in _________ must be rehearsed before it can move into a relatively permanent long term memory.
The short term memory
Involved in retaining pieces of information for a relatively short time, typically for 30 seconds unless practiced.
The short term memory
What is state-dependent learning?
State-dependent learning is the principle that it is easier to recall information when one is in the same emotional and physical state as when one learned the information.
What is amnesia, and what is the difference between anterograde and retrograde?
Amnesia is loss of memory. Retrograde amnesia is memory loss for events that occurred before an injury, and anterograde is the inability to store new things in memory.
What is Procedural Knowledge
Knowledge of how to perform a task, such as riding a bike, associated with implicit memory
What does “Priming” mean?
Priming means that when you’ve seen or experienced something before, your brain processes it faster or more easily the next time you encounter it. It’s like a mental shortcut based on previous exposure.
Explain the Law of Forgetting
The principle that memory performance deteriorates as a power function of the delay interval. In the beginning, we forget a lot of information quickly, but as time goes on, the rate of forgetting slows down, and we lose less and less.
What is Mood Congruence?
A match between the mood associated with the content of a memory and the person’s mood when recalling the memory; such a match is associated with better memory.
Describe the “Decay theory”
The idea that memories simply decay in strength with time.
What is the Deese(1959)-Roediger-McDermott(1995) paradigm?
The paradigm shows how memory can misrepresent related words as true due to associations, making it hard to distinguish between false and true memories.
Describe the “encoding-specificity principle”
Memory is easier to recall when the context at retrieval matches the context at learning/encoding. “Same setup, better recall.”
Describe “explicit memory”
What we can consciously recall, like facts and experiences.
Describe “implicit memory”
What our actions imply we can recall without conscious awareness, like skills and habits.
Describe “false-memory syndrome”
False memory syndrome is when people remember events that didn’t happen or mix up details, often due to added inferences or suggestions.
What is the fan effect?
The fan effect is when more associations to a concept slow down memory retrieval. It’s called the fan effect because the information is “fanned out.”
What is the interference theory?
Interference theory is the idea that learning new memories can interfere with remembering old memories, leading to forgetting.
