Intro to Psych Modules 23-25 Definitions

Question 1

Memory

Answer 1

the act of learning over time though encoding, storage, and retrieval of information.

Question 2

recall

Answer 2

a measure of memory in which the person must retrieve information learned earlier, as on a fill in the blank test

Question 3

recognition

Answer 3

a measure of memory in which the person identifies items previously learned, as on a multiple-choice test.

Question 4

relearning

Answer 4

a measure of memory that assesses the amount of time saved when learning material again.

Question 5

encode

Answer 5

the process of getting information into the memory system

Question 6

store

Answer 6

the process of retaining encoded information over time

Question 7

retrieve

Answer 7

the process of getting information out of memory storage

Question 8

parallel processing

Answer 8

our ability to deal with multiple stimuli at once.

Question 9

connectionism

Answer 9

an information-processing model that sees memories as products of interconnected neural networks

Question 10

neuroplasticity

Answer 10

the brain’s ability to modify, change and adapt throughout life and in response to experience.

Question 11

sensory memory

Answer 11

the immediate, very brief recording of sensory information in the memory system. Our perception of sight, hearing, taste, touch, etc

Question 12

short term memory

Answer 12

the briefly activated memory of few (phone numbers, lists) that is either stored or forgotten later

Question 13

long-term memory

Answer 13

the relatively permanent and limitless archive of the memory system (includes knowledge, skills, experiences)

Question 14

working memory

Answer 14

a newer understanding of short-term memory that adds conscious and active processing to both incoming sensory information and of information retrieved from LTM

Question 15

explicit memories

Answer 15

the facts and experiences that we consciously know and “declare”
example: dates of events for a history test, to-do lists

Question 16

effortful processing

Answer 16

encoding that requires attention and conscious effort

Question 17

automatic processing

Answer 17

unconscious encoding of incidental information, such as space, time, frequency, and of well-learned information, such as sounds, smells, word meanings

Question 18

implicit memories

Answer 18

retention of learned skills or classically conditioned associations independent of conscious recollection

Question 19

iconic memory

Answer 19

a momentary sensory memory of visual stimuli, like a photographic or picture-image memory lasting no longer than a few tenths of a second
example: a fleeting image you just saw

Question 20

echoic memory

Answer 20

a momentary sensory memory of auditory stimuli. even if our attention was elsewhere, sounds and words linger for 3-4 seconds

Question 21

chunking

Answer 21

organizing items into familiar, manageable that enables us to recall it easier
example: remembering the digits of Pi into 4 numbers at a time

Question 22

mnemonics

Answer 22

memory aids that use imagery and organizational methods for recall
example: PEMDAS

Question 23

spacing effect

Answer 23

the tendency for distributed study to yield better long-term retention than is achieved through cramming

Question 24

testing effect

Answer 24

the effect of testing yourself to aid retrieval instead of rereading

Question 25

shallow processing vs deep processing

Answer 25

SP encodes on an elementary level (structure of words) DP encoding semantically (the meaning of the words)

Question 26

semantic memories vs episodic memories

Answer 26

SM are facts and general knowledge and EM are experienced events

Question 27

hippocampus

Answer 27

the neural center that helps process explicit memories for storage

Question 28

memory consolidation

Answer 28

the neural storage of long-term memory

Question 29

long term potentiation

Answer 29

an increase in a nerve cell’s firing potential stimulation – the neural basis for learning and memory

Question 30

priming

Answer 30

the introduction to one stimulus will influence how one interacts and remembers a subsequent stimulus

example: a child sees a bag of candy on a bench at the park, so every time they see a bench, they think of candy

Question 31

encoding specificity principle

Answer 31

the idea that cues and contexts specific to a particular memory will be most effective in recall

Question 32

mood congruent

Answer 32

the tendency to recall experiences that are consistent with one’s current or good mood

Question 33

serial position effect

Answer 33

our tendency to recall the last and first items on a list the best

Question 34

anterograde amnesia vs retrograde amnesia

Answer 34

AA is the inability to form new memories and RA is the inability to remember information from the past

Question 35

proactive interference vs retroactive interference

Answer 35

PI is the difficulty of learning new information after already learning older information (difficulty remembering new phone number due to LTM of old phone number) and RI is the difficulty of remembering old information due to new stimuli (not being able to remember an old song due to a new song that sounds similar)

Question 36

repression

Answer 36

the psychoanalytic theory that the basic defense mechanism that banishes from consciousness anxiety-inducing thoughts, feelings, and memories.

Question 37

reconsolidation

Answer 37

a process in which previously stored memories are potentially altered before being stored again

Question 38

misinformation effect

Answer 38

occurs when a memory has been corrupted by misleading information

Question 39

source amnesia

Answer 39

faulty memory for how, when, or where information was learned. is the heart of many false memories