Memory Flashcards
Encoding
the process of transferring sensory information into our memory system
Serial Position Effect
when someone attempts to memorize a series, such as a list of words. In an immediate recall condition(shortly after information is first presented), the individuals are more likely to recall the first and last items on the list. Includes primary and recency effect
Primary effect
first items are more easily recalled because they have had the most time to be encoded and transferred to long-term memory
Recency Effect
last items may be more easily recalled because they may still be in the phonological loop, being readily available. However if asked to recall a list at a later point, the person might not remember the last information because it was lost or decayed while the first information was processed into long term memory.
mnemonic
any technique for improving retention and retrieval of information from memory
rehersal
repeating a phonological loop over and over
chunking
information is recorded in discrete groups of data. Example: remembering that a group of letters makes a particular word.
hierarchies
when words or things are organized into groups
depth of processing
information thought about at a deeper level is better remembered
dual coding hypothesis
says that it is easier to remember words with associated images than words or images alone
acronym
using short words and phrases to remember longer strings of information
method of loci
involves imaging moving through a familiar place, such as your home, and in each place, leaving a visual representation of a topic to be remembered.
self reference effect
things that are personally relevant are more easily remembered
Sensory memory
initial recording of sensory information in the memory system is a very brief snapshot that quickly decays
Iconic memory
brief photographic memory for visual information, which decays in a few tenths of a second
Echoic memory
a memory for sound, lasts about 3-4 seconds. why you ask ppl to repeat what they said if you didn’t quite hear them
short term memory
recall capacity for adults is about 7 items. only retains info for about 20 seconds unless actively processed and transferred to long term memory. where new info sought to be remembered resides, correlated with the hippocampus. Different from Working memory which is correlated with prefrontal cortex and a storage bin to store memories that needed in a particular moment to process info or solve a problem
long term memory
retained sometimes indefinitely, has infinite capacity
Implicit/procedural memory
conditioned associations and knowledge of how to do something. motor skills and actions. (playing a sport). cerebellum
Explicit/declarative memory
being able to “declare” or voice what is known. subdivided into semantic and episodic memory. hippocampus. info is only retained if hippocampus is fully developed.
Semantic memory
memory of factual information. deteriorates before episodic does
Episodic memory
autobiographical memory for personal importance
nodes
individual ideas that make up an organized network of long term memory
associations
connecting the nodes which are like roads connecting cities. strength of association is related to how frequently and how deeply a connection is made
response threshold
strong input signals from neighbors that cause a response. The response threshold is reached my summation of input signals from multiple nodes. Stronger neural connections have more dendrites
spreading activation
we start the search from one node. we don’t choose where we go next. the activated node spreads its activation to other nodes around it which are associated with that node. explains why if you chew a certain type of gum studying, then you will better remember that info if you chew the gum again
free recall
retrieving an item out of thin air
cued recall
retrieving an item when provided with a cue
priming
prior activation of nodes
mood-dependent memory
what is learned in one state is most easily recalled when in that state again
prospective memory
remembering to do things in the future
anterograde amnesia
inability to encode new memories
retrograde amnesia
inability to recall info that was previously encoded
retention interval
time since information was learned, the more information will be forgotten, the most forgetting happens in the first few days before leveling off
proactive inference
when information previously learned interferes with the ability to recall info learned later. ex: remembering where you parked your car in a parking garage after parking there many times before
retroactive interference
when newly learned info interferes with the recall information learned previously. ex: learning new address interferes with remembering an old one.
positive transfer
when old info facilitates the learning of new info
misinformation effect
a tendancy to misremember
false memories
when implanting false ideas leads to believing the memory was real
source monitoring
an error can cause one to forget the information’s source
neural plasticity
malleability of brain
neurogenisis
birth of new neurons, small extent in hippocampus and cerebellum
