Memory Flashcards
memory
the process by which we encode, store and retrieve information
sensory memory
the initial, momentary storage of information, lasting only an instant
short-term memory
memory that holds information for 15 to 25 seconds
long-term memory
memory that stores information on a relatively permanent basis, although it may be difficult to retrieve
chunk
a meaningful grouping of stimuli that can be stored as a unit in short-term memory
working memory
a set of active, temporary memory stores hat actively manipulate and rehearse information
declarative memory
memory for factual information: names, faces, dates and the like
procedural memory
memory for skills and habits, such as riding a bike or hitting a baseball; sometimes referred to as non-declarative memory
semantic memory
memory for general knowledge and facts about the world, as well as memory for the rules of logic that are used to deduced other facts
episodic memory
memory for events that occur in a particular time, place or context
semantic networks
mental representations of clusters of interconnected information
rehearsal
the repetition of information that has entered short-term memory
tip-of-the-tongue phenomenon
the inability to recall information that one realizes one knows-a result of the difficulty of retrieving information from long-term memory
recall
memory task in which specific information must be retrieved
recognition
memory task in which individuals are presented with a stimulus and asked whether they have been exposed to it in the past or to identify it from a list of alternatives
levels of processing theory
the theory of memory that emphasizes the degree to which new material is mentally analyzed
explicit memory
intentional or conscious recollection of information
implicit memory
memories of which people are not consciously aware but that can affect subsequent performance and behavior
priming
a phenomenon in which exposure to a word or concept (called a prime) later makes it easier to recall related information, even when there is no conscious memory of the word or concept
flashbulb memories
memories centered in a specific, important, or surprising event that are so vivid it is as if they represented a snapshot of the event
constructive process
processes in which memories are influenced by the meaning we give to events
schemas
organized bodies of information stored in memory that bias the way new information is interpreted, stored and recalled
autobiographical memories
our recollections of circumstances and episodes from our own lives
decay
the loss of information in memory through its nonuse
interference
the phenomenon by which information in memory disrupts the recall of other information
cue-dependent forgetting
forgetting the occurs when there are insufficient retrieval cues to rekindle information that is in memory
proactive interference
interference in which there is difficulty in the recall of information learned earlier because of later exposure to different material
Alzheimer’s disease
an illness characterized in part by severe memory problems
amnesia
memory loss that occurs without other mental difficulties
retrograde amnesia
amnesia in which memory is lost for occurrences prior to a certain event
anterograde amnesia
amnesia in which memory is lost for events that follow an injury
Korsakoff’s syndrome
a disease that afflicts long-term alcoholics, leaving some abilities intact but including hallucinations and a tendency to repeat the same story
retroactive interference
interference in which there is difficulty in the recall of information learned earlier because of later exposure to different material
