Memory and Cognition Flashcards
The persistence of learning over time through the encoding, storage and retrieval of information
Memory
the processing of information into the memory systems – for example, by extracting meaning.
Encoding
the process of retaining encoded information over time.
storage
the process of getting information out of memory storage.
retrieval
the processing of many aspects of a problem simultaneously; the brain’s natural mode of information processing for many functions. Contrasts with the step-by-step (serial) processing of most computers and of conscious problem solving.
parallel processing
the immediate, very brief recording of sensory information in the memory system.
sensory memory
activated memory that holds a few items briefly, such as the seven digits of a phone number while dialing before the information is stored or forgotten.
short-term memory
the relatively permanent and limitless storehouse of the memory system. Includes knowledge, skills, and experiences.
long-term memory
a newer understanding of short-term memory that focuses on conscious, active processing of incoming auditory and visual-spatial information, and of information retrieved from long-term memory.
working memory
memory of facts and experiences that one can consciously know and “declare.” (Also called declarative memory)
explicit memory
encoding that requires attention and conscious effort.
effortful processing
unconscious encoding of incidental information, such as space, time and frequency, and of well-learned information, such as word meanings.
automatic processing
retention independent of conscious recollection. (Also called nondeclarative memory)
implicit memory
a momentary sensory memory of visual stimuli; a photographic or picture-image memory lasting no more than a few tenths of a second.
iconic memory
a momentary sensory memory of auditory stimuli; if attention is elsewhere, sounds and words can still be recalled within 3 or 4 seconds.
echoic memory
organizing items into familiar, manageable units; often occurs automatically.
chunking
memory aids, especially those techniques that use vivid imagery and organizational devices.
mnemonics
the tendency for distributed study or practice to yield better long-term retention than is achieved through massed study or practice.
spacing effect
enhanced memory after retrieving, rather than simply rereading information. Also sometimes referred to as a retrieval practice effect or test-enhanced learning.
testing effect
encoding on a basic level based on the structure or appearance of words.
shallow processing
encoding semantically, based on the meaning of the words; tends to yield the best retention.
deep processing
a neural center that is located in the limbic system; helps process explicit memories for storage.
hippocampus
a clear memory of an emotionally significant moment or event.
flashbulb memory
an increase in a cell’s firing potential after brief, rapid stimulation. Believed to be a neural basis for learning and memory.
long-term potential (LTP)
a measure of memory in which the person must retrieve information learning earlier, as on a fill-in-the-blank test.
recall
a measure of memory in which the person need only identify items previously learned, as on a multiple-choice test.
recognition
a measure of memory that assesses the amount of time saved when learning material again.
relearning
the activation, often unconsciously, of particular associations in memory.
priming
the tendency to recall experiences that are consistent with one’s current good or bad mood.
mood congruent memory
our tendency to recall best the last (a recency effect) and first items (a primacy effect) in a list.
serial position effect
an inability to form new memories.
anterograde amnesia
an inability to retrieve information from one’s past.
retrograde amnesia
the disruptive effect of prior learning on the recall of new information.
proactive interference
the disruptive effect of new learning on the recall of old information.
retroactive interference
in psychoanalytic theory, the basic defense mechanism that banishes from consciousness anxiety-arousing thoughts, feelings, and memories.
repression
incorporating misleading information into one’s memory of an event.
misinformation effect
attributing to the wrong source an event we have experienced, heard about, read about, or imagined. (Also called source misattribution.) …, along with the misinformation effect, is at the heart of many false memories.
source amnesia
that eerie sense that “I’ve experienced this before.” Cues from the current situation may unconsciously trigger retrieval of an earlier experience.
deja vu
