memory Flashcards
storage
maintaining encoded information in memory over time
retrieval
recovering information from memory stores
attention
focusing awareness on a narrowed range of stimuli or events
cocktail party phenomenon
hearing your name in a different conversation even though you weren’t listening
structural encoding
relatively shallow processing that emphasizes the physical structure of the stimulus
phonemic encoding (aka acoustic)
emphasizes what word/thing sounds like
semantic encoding
emphasizes meaning of verbal input
levels of processing theory
deeper levels of processing result in longer lasting memory codes
elaboration
linking a stimulus to other information at the time of encoding
imagery
creation of visual images to represent words. can be used to enrich encoding.
duel coding theory
memory is enhanced by forming semantic and visual codes, since either can lead to recall
self referent encoding
deciding how or whether information is personally relevant
motivation to remember
when MTR is high at time of encoding, people are more likely to exert extra effort to attend to and organize information in ways that facilitate future recall
information processing theories
sensory memory > short term memory > long term memory
sensory memory
preserves info in its original sensory form for a brief time, usually only a fraction of a second
short term memory (STM)
limited capacity store that can maintain unrehearsed info for about 10-20 seconds
rehearsal
process of repetitively verbalizing or thinking about the information
phonemic encoding
like saying phone numbers again and again until you dial
decay
losing memory
chunk
group of familiar stimuli stored as a single unit
capacity of short term memory
7 plus or minus two
now 4 plus or minus two
working memory capacity
refers to ones ability to hold and manipulate information in conscious attention
long term memory (LTM)
unlimited capacity store that can hold info over lengthy periods of time
flashbulb memories
unusually vivid and detailed recollections of the circumstances in which people learned about momentous, newsworthy events
conceptual hierarchy
multilevel classification system based on common properties among items
schema
organized cluster of knowledge about a particular object or event
semantic network
consists of nodes representing concepts, joined together by pathways that link related concepts
spreading activation
one word triggers another word, related through semantic networks
parallel distributed processing (connectionism)
simultaneous processing of the same information that is spread across networks of neurons
parallel distributed processing (connectionist) models
assume that cognitive processes depend on patterns of activation in highly interconnected computational networks that resemble neural networks
tip of the tongue phenomenon
temporary inability to remember something you know, accompanied by the feeling that its just out of reach
misinformation effect
occurs when participants’ recall of an event they witnessed is altered by introducing misleading post-event information
reality monitoring
refers to the process of deciding whether memories are based on external sources (one’s perceptions of actual events) or internal sources (one’s thoughts and imaginations)
source monitoring (error)
involves making attributions about the origins of memories
sm errors occur when a memory derived from one source is misattributed to another source
destination memory
recalling to whom one has told what
forgetting curve
graphs retention and forgetting over time
retention
refers to the proportion of material retained
recall
a recall measure of retention requires subjects to reproduce information on their own without any clues
recognition
requires subjects to reproduce information with clues
relearning
memorize information a second time to determine how much time or how many practice trials are saved by having learned it before
pseudoforgetting
not actually forgetting, but something you never really knew. what a penny looks like exactly. comes from a lack of attention.
retroactive interference
occurs when new info impairs the retention of previously learned info
proactive interference
occurs when new info impairs the retention of previously learned info
encoding specificity principle
value of retrieval cue depends on how well it corresponds to the memory code
transfer appropriate processing
occurs when the initial processing of information is similar to the type of processing required by the subsequent measure of retention
repression
keeping distressing thoughts and feelings buried in the unconscious
long term potentiation
long lasting increase in neural excitability at synapses along a specific neural pathway
retrograde amnesia
loss of memories before onset of amnesia
anterograde amnesia
loss of memories after onset of amnesia
consolidation
a hypothetical process involving the gradual conversion of information into durable memory codes stored in long term memory
declarative memory system
handles factual information
nondeclarative memory sustem
houses memory for actions, skills, conditioned responses, and emotional responses
encoding
forming a memory code
