Human memory: Encoding and storage Flashcards
Activation
A measure of both the probability and the speed of access of a memory.
Articulatory process
In Baddeley’s theory of working memory, a component of the phonological loop, an “inner voice” that rehearses verbal information.
Auditory sensory store
Or echoic memory; a memory system that can briefly store auditory information.
Central executive
In Baddeley’s theory, a system that controls how the articulatory process and the visuospatial sketchpad are used.
Depth of processing
The theory that rehearsal improves memory only if the material is rehearsed in a deep and meaningful way.
Elaborative processing
Thinking of information that relates to and expands on information that needs to be remembered.
Flashbulb memories
Particularly good memory for an event that is very important.
Long-term potentiation (LTP)
A neuron’s increased sensitivity to stimulation as a function of past stimulation.
Memory span
The amount of information that can be perfectly retained in an immediate test of memory.
Method of loci
A mnemonic technique used to associate items to be remebered with locations along a well-known path.
Partial-report procedure
A procedure in visual-report experiments in which participants are cued to report only some of the items in a display.
Phonological loop
Part of Baddeley’s proposed for rehearsing verbal information.
Phonological store
In Baddeley’s theory of working memory, a component of the phonological loop, an “inner ear” that briefly stores inner speech.
Power function
A function in which the independent variable X is raised to a power to obtain the dependent variable Y, as in Y = AX^b.
Power law of learning
The principle that memory performance improves as a power function of practice.
Short-term memory
A proposed intermediate memory system for holding information as it travels from sensory memory to long-term memory.
Spreading activation
The process by which activation spreads from items currently or recently processed to other parts of the memory network, activating the memories that reside there.
Strength
The quantity that determines the inherent availability of a memory.
Visual sensory store
Or iconic memory; a memory system that can briefly store visual information.
Visuospatial sketchpad
In Baddeley’s theory of working memory, a “slave system” for maintaining visual information.
Whole-report procedure
A procedure in visual-report experiments in which participants are asked to report all the items in a display.
Working memory
The information that is currently available in memory for working on a problem.
