Memory Flashcards
What is the first step in using your memory more effectively?
Organize your thinking and outline complex topics
What should you build to make learning more meaningful?
Relevant connections between what you wish to learn and what you already know
What happens when you try to memorize something you do not fully understand?
You will forget it and create a cul-de-sac for future learning
What is suggestibility in the context of memory?
Misinformation from external sources can lead to false memories
What is imagination inflation?
Imagining nonexistent events can create a memory
Who is more likely to have false memories?
People with vivid imaginations and children
What is false memory?
A memory that is either distorted or fabricated
What is the controversy regarding repressed memories?
Whether they can or should be recovered and if they are accurate
What is déjà vu?
A brief intense feeling of remembering a scene or event that is actually being experienced for the first time
What can trigger the sensation of déjà vu?
Features in the current situation that match features in a previous memory
What is the incidence of déjà vu in the population?
1 of 6 people (16 percent) experience it about once a month
What percentage of information is forgotten within an hour?
Approximately 56%
What is forgetting?
The loss or change in information that was previously stored in memory
What are the stages where forgetting can occur?
Retrieval from long-term memory, long-term storage, short-term memory, and sensory memory
What is the misinformation effect?
Post-event information can distort eyewitness recollection of an original event
What does the Semantic Network Model suggest about long-term memory?
LTM is organized in a complex network of associations or schemas
What is the Tip-of-the-Tongue (TOT) experience?
The sensation of knowing specific information is stored but being unable to retrieve it
What percentage of TOT experiences are resolved eventually?
90 percent
What is encoding failure?
When information is not encoded initially into long-term memory
What is decay theory?
Memory traces fade away over time due to normal brain processes
What is anterograde amnesia?
Inability to form new memories related to hippocampus damage
What role does the hippocampus play in memory?
It is essential for the formation of declarative memories
What is the function of the amygdala in memory?
Processes emotional information and is involved in fear memories
What are the two types of interference in memory?
Proactive interference and retroactive interference
What is repression in the context of memory?
An unconscious forgetting of anxiety-producing memories
What is suppression in the context of memory?
A conscious effort to forget memories
What are Schacter’s Seven Sins of Memory?
Transience, absentmindedness, blocking, misattribution, suggestibility, bias, persistence
What is collective memory?
Memory shared by people in a group
What are the three types of long-term memory?
- Procedural memory
- Semantic memory
- Episodic memory
What is the Atkinson-Shiffrin model of memory?
A model that describes the process of memory passing through three distinct stages
What is the briefest form of memory storage?
Sensory Memory
What is semantic memory?
General knowledge
Semantic memory is a type of long-term memory that involves the storage of factual information and general knowledge about the world.
What is episodic memory?
Memory of specific events or episodes
Episodic memory refers to the recollection of specific instances or experiences in one’s life.
What is the second process of memory?
Storage
Storage is the process of retaining information in memory for later use.
According to the Atkinson-Shiffrin model, how many stages are there in memory storage?
Three stages
The three stages are sensory memory, short-term memory, and long-term memory.
What is sensory memory?
The briefest form of memory storage
Sensory memory records immediate sensory information for a very short period.
What is the function of sensory memory?
To very briefly store sensory impressions
Sensory memory allows us to perceive the world as continuous rather than disjointed.
What is the duration of iconic memory?
Half a second
Iconic memory pertains to visual information storage.
What is the duration of echoic memory?
3-4 seconds
Echoic memory pertains to auditory information storage.
What is short-term working memory?
Conscious processing of information
Short-term working memory provides temporary storage for information and allows active processing.
What is the magic number for short-term memory capacity?
7 +/- 2 (5-9)
This refers to the average number of items that can be held in short-term memory.
What is chunking?
Grouping related information into smaller chunks
Chunking helps expand working memory load by making information more manageable.
What is effortful processing?
Encoding that requires attention and conscious effort
Examples include learning new skills or information that necessitates active engagement.
What is automatic processing?
Unconscious encoding of information
This process requires minimal cognitive resources and occurs without conscious awareness.
List the three types of encoding.
- Semantic (words and their meaning)
- Visual (images)
- Acoustic (sounds, including words)
Different types of encoding help in the effective storage of information.
What is memory?
The persistence of learning over time through encoding, storage, and retrieval
Memory is a complex process involving various mental operations.
What are the three memory processes?
- Encoding
- Storage
- Retrieval
These processes work together to manage how information is handled in the memory system.
What is retrieval?
The process of recalling or using previously encoded and stored information
Retrieval is crucial for accessing stored memories.
What is context effects in memory retrieval?
Recall is improved when retrieval occurs in the same context as learning
Context effects highlight the importance of environmental cues in recalling memories.
What is state-dependent memory?
Recall is improved when encoding and retrieval occur in the same emotional or biological state
This means that one’s mood or physical state can influence memory recall.
What is explicit memory?
The conscious recollection of facts and events
Explicit memory includes both semantic and episodic memory.
What is implicit memory?
Unconscious memory for skills and tasks
Implicit memory involves memories that are not consciously accessible, such as riding a bike.
What is the role of the hippocampus in memory?
Processing of explicit memories
The hippocampus is crucial for the formation of new explicit long-term memories.
What does the Stroop effect demonstrate?
Delay in reaction time between congruent and incongruent stimuli
This effect illustrates the interference that occurs when processing conflicting information.
What are mnemonics?
Memory aids or tricks that help remember information
Mnemonics can include visual images, phrases, or acronyms to enhance recall.
What strategies can improve memory?
- Use distributed practice
- Make material meaningful
- Activate retrieval cues
- Use mnemonic devices
- Minimize interference
- Sleep more
- Test yourself
These strategies can enhance memory retention and retrieval.
What happened to patient H.M. after his surgery?
Lost explicit memory for events after the surgery
H.M. could not form new explicit long-term memories but retained some implicit memory abilities.
