Memory Flashcards
Memory
the ability to store and retrieve information over time
The three functions of memory are
Encoding, Storage and Retrieval
Encoding
the process by which we transform what we perceive think or feel into an enduring memory
Storage
The process of maintaining information in memory over time
Retrieval
the process of bringing to mind information that has been previously encoded and stored
How are memories constructed?
by combining information we already have with new information coming in.
Three major ways to encode
- Elaborative encoding
- Visual imagery encoding
- Organizational encoding
Elaborative encoding
the process of actively relating new information to knowledge that is already in memory
Visual imagery encoding
The process of storing new information by converting it into mental pictures
Organizational encoding
the process of categorizing information according to the relationships among a series of items
Three major kinds of memory storage
Sensory, Short-term and Long-term
Sensory memory
Storage that holds sensory information for few seconds or less
Short-term memory
also known as working memory - storage that holds non-sensory information for more than a few seconds but less than a minute.
Can hold about 7 items
Two ways of retaining information in Short-term memory
Rehearsal and chunking
Rehearsal
the process of keeping information in Short-Term memory by mentally repeating it
Chunking
combining small pieces of information into larger clusters that are more easily held in Short Term memory
Long Term Memory
storage that holds information for hours, days, weeks, or years; no known capacity
Sensory Memory
stores all the stimuli that register on the senses
Lasts up to three seconds
Iconic memory
A type of sensory memory for visual input.
Usually lasts about 0.3 seconds
Anterograde amnesia
the inability to transfer new information from the short-term store into the long-term store
Retrograde amnesia
the inability to retrieve information that was acquired before a particular date, usually the date of an injury or operation
Consolidation
the process by which memories become stable in the brain
Elaborative rehearsal
A technique for transferring information into long-term memory by thinking about it in a deeper way
Self-relevant effect
By viewing new info as relevant to the self, we consider that info more fully and are better able to recall it
Two kinds of long-term memory
Procedural (Implicit) and Declarative (Explicit)
Implicit memory
Also called Procedural memory. Previous experiences aid the performance of a task without conscious awareness of these previous experiences.
Explicit memory
- Also called declarative memory.
- Memories of facts.
- Episodic - personal experiences tied to places and time.
- Semantic- general knowlege.
Retrieval cues
external information that helps bring stored information to mind
Encoding specificity principal
the idea that a retrieval cue can serve as an effective reminder when it helps recreate the specific way in which information was initially encoded
Recognition task
A form of explicit memory retrieval in which items are presented to a person who must determine if they were previously encountered
Retrieval failure
Tip-of-the-tongue type thing
Context-Dependant memory
We are more successful at retrieving memories if we are in the same environment in which we stored them
State-Dependent Memory
We are more successful at retrieving memories if we are in the same mood as when we stored them
Retrieval-induced forgetting
a process by which retrieving an item from long-term memory impairs subsequent recall of related items(frontal lobe suppresses competing information)
Transience
forgetting what occurs with the passage of time
Retroactive interference
situations in which information learned later impairs memory for information acquired earlier
Proactive interference
situations in which information learned earlier impairs memory for information acquired later
Absentmindedness
a lapse in attention that results in memory failure
Prospective memory
remembering to do things in the future
Blocking
a failure to retrieve information that is available in memory even though you are trying to produce it. Also known as tip-of-the-tongue phenomenon
Source memory
recall of when, where and how information was acquired
False recognition
a feeling of familiarity about something that hasn’t been encountered before
Schema theory
preconceptions about persons, objects or events that bias the way new information is interpreted and recalled
Misinformation effect
when our recall of episodic memories becomes less accurate because of post-event information.
Illusory memories
People sometimes create memories that are completely false
Suggestibility
the tendency to incorporate misleading information from external sources into personal recollections
Bias
The distorting influences of present knowledge, beliefs, and feelings on recollection of previous experiences
Consistency Bias
the tendency to reconstruct the past to fit the present
Change bias
the tendency to exaggerate differences between what we feel or believe now and what we felt or believed in the past
Egocentric bias
the tendency to exaggerate the change between present and past in order to make ourselves look good in retrospect
Persistence
the intrusive recollection of events that we wish we could forget
Flashbulb memories
detailed recollections of when and where we heard about shocking events
Method of loci
Items to be recalled are mentally placed in familiar locations
