Memory Flashcards
Memory
the ability to store and use information; also the store of what has been learned and remembered.
three-stage model of memory
classification of memories based on duration as sensory, short-term, and long-term.
sensory memory
the part of memory that holds information in its original sensory form for a very brief period of time, usually about half a second or less.
short-term memory
the part of memory that temporarily (for 2 to 30 seconds) stores a limited amount of information before it is either transferred to long-term storage or forgotten.
long-term memory
the part of memory that has the capacity to store a vast amount of information for as little as 30 seconds and as long as a lifetime.
working memory
the part of memory required to attend to and solve a problem at hand; often used interchangeably with short-term memory.
chunking
the process of breaking down a list of items to be remembered into a smaller set of meaningful units.
rehearsal
the process of repeatedly practicing material so that it enters long-term memory.
serial position effect
the tendency to have better recall for items in a list according to their position in the list.
implicit memory
kind of memory made up of knowledge based on previous experience, such as skills that we perform automatically once we have mastered them; resides outside conscious awareness.
procedural memory
kind of memory made up of implicit knowledge for almost any behavior or physical skill we have learned.
priming
a kind of implicit memory that arises when recall is improved by earlier exposure to the same or similar stimuli.
explicit memory
knowledge that consists of the conscious recall of facts and events; also known as declarative memory.
semantic memory
form of memory that recalls facts and general knowledge, such as what we learn in school.
episodic memory
form of memory that recalls the experiences we have had
encoding
the process by which the brain attends to, takes in, and integrates new information; the first stage of long-term memory formation.
automatic processing
encoding of information that occurs with little effort or conscious attention to the task.
effortful processing
encoding of information that occurs with careful attention and conscious effort.
levels of processing
the concept that the more deeply people encode information, the better they will recall it.
mnemonic device
a method devised to help remember information, such as a rhyme or acronym.
consolidation
the process of establishing, stabilizing, or solidifying a memory; the second stage of long-term memory formation.
storage
the retention of memory over time; the third stage of long-term memory formation.
hierarchies
a way of organizing related pieces of information from the most specific feature they have in common to the most general.
schemas
mental frameworks that develop from our experiences with particular people, objects, or events.
associative network
a chain of associations between related concepts.
retrieval
the recovery of information stored in memory; the fourth stage of long-term memory.
prefrontal cortex
the frontmost region of the frontal lobes that plays an important role in attention, appropriate social behavior, impulse control, and working memory.
flashbulb memories
detailed, especially vivid memories of very specific, highly charged events.
long-term potentiation
strengthening of a synaptic connection that results when synapse of one neuron repeatedly fires and excites another neuron.
forgetting
the weakening or loss of memories over time.
interference
disruption of memory because other information competes with the information we are trying to recall.
retroactive interference
disruption of memory because new experiences or information cause people to forget previously learned experiences or information.
proactive interference
disruption of memory because previously learned information interferes with the learning of new information.
forgetting curve
a graphic depiction of how recall steadily declines over time.
absent-mindedness
a form of forgetfulness that results from inattention.
blocking
the inability to retrieve some information once it is stored.
repression
the unconscious act of keeping threatening thoughts, feelings, or impulses out of consciousness.
suggestibility
problem with memory that occurs when memories are implanted in our minds based on leading questions, comments, or suggestions by someone else or some other source.
false memories
memories for events that never happened, but were suggested by someone or something.
recovered memory
a memory from a real event that was encoded, stored, but not retrieved for a long period of time until some later event brings it suddenly to consciousness.
amnesia
memory loss due to brain injury or disease.
anterograde amnesia
the inability to remember events and experiences that occur after an injury or the onset of a disease.
retrograde amnesia
an inability to recall events or experiences that happened before the onset of a disease or injury.
