Memory 2 Flashcards
Term
Definition
Memory as Information Processing
The perspective viewing memory as a system that encodes, stores, and retrieves information.
Encoding: Entering Information
The process of converting external stimuli into a form that can be stored in memory.
Levels of Processing: When Deeper is Better
The idea that the depth of processing affects how easily information can be recalled.
Exposure and Rehearsal
Being exposed to information and then repeating or practicing it to improve retention.
Organisation and Imagery
Techniques such as organizing information and creating mental images to enhance memory.
How Prior Knowledge Shapes Encoding
The influence of existing knowledge and experiences on the encoding of new information.
Would Perfect Memory Be a Gift or a Curse?
Exploring the potential advantages and disadvantages of having a perfect memory.
Storage: Retaining Information
The process of maintaining encoded information over time.
Memory as a Network
Conceptualizing memory as a network of interconnected nodes and associations.
Retrieval: Accessing Information
The process of bringing stored information into conscious awareness.
The Value of Multiple Cues
Using various cues or hints to facilitate the retrieval of stored information.
The Value of Distinctiveness
The idea that distinctive or unique information is more easily remembered.
Arousal, Emotion, and Memory
The role of emotional states and arousal in the formation and recall of memories.
The Effects of Context, State, and Mood on Memory
How environmental context, mental state, and mood influence memory retrieval.
The Course of Forgetting
Patterns and factors influencing the decline of memories over time.
Forgetting to Do Things: Prospective Memory
Remembering to perform planned actions or tasks in the future.
Memory Distortion and Schemas
The impact of pre-existing mental frameworks (schemas) on memory accuracy.
Memory Illusions: Remembering Things That Never Occurred
False memories influenced by misinformation or suggestive questioning.
Misinformation Effects and Eyewitness Testimony
The influence of misleading information on eyewitness recall and testimony.
The Child as Eyewitness
Examining the reliability and limitations of children’s eyewitness testimony.
Recovered-Memory Controversy
Debates regarding the validity of recovered memories, especially in therapy settings.
Memory Error: Cannot Retrieve File
Challenges and limitations in comparing memory to computer storage and retrieval.
Challenging the Computer–Brain Analogy
Critically assessing the limitations of comparing human memory to computer systems.
Memory and the Brain
The neurobiological processes involved in memory formation, storage, and retrieval.
Where Are Memories Formed and Stored?
Investigating the brain regions involved in the formation and storage of memories.
How Are Memories Formed?
Exploring the neural and synaptic processes underlying memory formation.
Can Memories Transcend Generations?
Examining the possibility of memories being transmitted across multiple generations.
Memory and the Australian Perspective
Considering the role of cultural and societal factors in shaping memory in Australia.
Improving Memory and Academic Learning
Strategies and techniques to enhance memory and optimize learning outcomes.
Episodic Memory
The type of long-term memory that involves the recall of specific events, situations, and experiences.
Semantic Memory
A form of long-term memory that encompasses general knowledge, facts, and concepts.
Procedural Memory
The type of long-term memory responsible for remembering how to perform various skills and tasks.
Declarative Memory
A type of long-term memory that includes facts and events that can be consciously recalled.
Implicit Memory
Memory that is not consciously recollected but can still influence behavior and performance.
Short-Term Memory
The system responsible for temporarily holding and processing information.
Long-Term Memory
The system for permanently storing, managing, and retrieving information.
Serial Position Effect
The tendency to remember items at the beginning (primacy effect) and end (recency effect) of a list better than those in the middle.
Chunking
The process of organizing information into smaller, manageable units (chunks) to improve memory.
Flashbulb Memory
A highly detailed, exceptionally vivid ‘snapshot’ of the moment and circumstances in which a piece of surprising and consequential news was heard.
Source Monitoring
The ability to identify the origin of a particular memory, including whether it is from personal experiences or external sources.
Tip-of-the-Tongue Phenomenon
The feeling of being on the verge of remembering something but not being able to retrieve it immediately.
State-Dependent Memory
The phenomenon where memory retrieval is most efficient when an individual is in the same state of consciousness as they were when the memory was formed.
Metamemory
An individual’s awareness and understanding of their own memory processes.
Cued Recall
A memory retrieval task where individuals are provided with cues to aid in the recall of specific items.
Recognition
A memory retrieval task where individuals are asked to identify previously encountered information from a list of options.
Reconstructive Memory
The process of rebuilding or updating memories based on new information or experiences.
Encoding Specificity Principle
The idea that the effectiveness of memory retrieval is influenced by the similarity between encoding and retrieval environments.
Hippocampus
A brain structure crucial for the formation of new memories, particularly episodic and declarative memories.
Amnesia
A condition characterized by significant memory loss, often resulting from damage to the brain regions involved in memory.
Alzheimer’s Disease
A progressive neurodegenerative disorder leading to memory loss, cognitive decline, and changes in behavior.
Proactive Interference
The phenomenon where previously learned information interferes with the ability to remember new information.
Retroactive Interference
The phenomenon where newly learned information interferes with the recall of previously learned information.
Neuroplasticity
The brain’s ability to reorganize itself, forming new neural connections throughout life, including in response to learning, experience, and injury.
Neurotransmitters
Chemicals that transmit signals between nerve cells (neurons) in the brain.
Synaptic Plasticity
The ability of the connection (synapse) between two neurons to change in strength.
Neural Network
Interconnected neurons that work together to process and store information in the brain.
Sensory Memory
The initial stage of memory that briefly holds a large amount of incoming sensory information in the form of iconic (visual) and echoic (auditory) memories.
Iconic Memory
A type of sensory memory that temporarily holds visual information for a fraction of a second.
Echoic Memory
A type of sensory memory that temporarily holds auditory information for a few seconds.
Selective Attention
The process of focusing on a particular stimulus while ignoring others, facilitating the transfer of information from sensory memory to working memory.
Working Memory
A system responsible for temporarily holding and manipulating information needed for cognitive tasks, often involving the central executive, phonological loop, and visuospatial sketchpad.
Central Executive
The component of working memory that coordinates and controls cognitive processes, managing the flow of information.
Phonological Loop
A component of working memory responsible for the temporary storage of acoustic and verbal information.
Visuospatial Sketchpad
A component of working memory responsible for the temporary storage and manipulation of visual and spatial information.
Dual Coding Theory
The idea that information is more easily remembered when it is processed in both verbal and visual forms.
Baddeley’s Model
A model of working memory proposed by Alan Baddeley, consisting of the central executive, phonological loop, and visuospatial sketchpad.
Maintenance Rehearsal
Repeating information to oneself to maintain it in working memory without fully engaging in deeper processing.
Chunking
Organizing information into meaningful units or chunks to increase the capacity of working memory.
Long-Term Potentiation (LTP)
The long-lasting strengthening of synaptic connections, often associated with learning and memory.
Serial Position Effect
The tendency to remember items at the beginning (primacy effect) and end (recency effect) of a list better than those in the middle.
Cognitive Load
The amount of mental effort required to process information, influencing the efficiency of working memory.
Episodic Buffer
A component added to Baddeley’s model that integrates information from the phonological loop, visuospatial sketchpad, and long-term memory into a single, coherent representation.
Mnemonic Devices
Techniques or strategies that aid in memory, often involving associations, imagery, or organization.
Visuo-spatial Working Memory
The ability to temporarily hold and manipulate visual and spatial information in working memory.
State-Dependent Memory
The phenomenon where retrieval is more effective when an individual is in the same physiological or psychological state as when the information was encoded.
Cue-Dependent Memory
The idea that retrieval cues present at the time of encoding serve as effective triggers for memory recall.
Mood-Congruent Memory
The tendency to recall information more easily when the mood at the time of retrieval matches the mood during encoding.
Emotion-Induced Amnesia
The impaired recall of neutral information following exposure to emotionally arousing stimuli.
Reminiscence Bump
The phenomenon where individuals tend to recall a disproportionately large number of personal memories from adolescence and early adulthood, typically between the ages of 10 and 30 years. This period is often associated with a heightened encoding of memories due to novel and self-relevant experiences.
Autobiographical Memory
The aspect of memory that relates to the recollection of personally experienced events. It includes memories of specific events, personal facts, and general knowledge about oneself.
