Memory Vocab Flashcards
memory
the persistence of learning over time through the storage and retrieval of information
recall
the process of bringing information from stored memories into conscious awareness.
recognition
when you notice something you learned previously
relearning
the process by which we learn something for the second time
encoding
the processing of information in the memory systems
storage
the retention of encoded information over time
retrieval
the process of getting information out of memory
parallel processing
the ability of the brain to simultaneously process incoming stimuli of differing quality
sensory memory
immediate,very brief recording of sensory information in the memory system
short-term memory
activated memory that holds a few items briefly
long-term memory
essentially endless, it encompasses everything you know. it is a passive system
working 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
explicit memory
retention of facts and experiences from long-term memory that one can consciously know and declare. also known as declarative memory
effortful processing
encoding that requires attention and conscious effort
automatic processing
unconscious encoding of incidental information such as space, time and frequency, as of well-learned information, such as word meanings
implicit memory
retention of learned skills or classically conditioned associations in long-term memory independent of conscious recollection. also called non declarative memory
iconic memory
visual information
echoic memory
sound information
chunking
organizing information into meaningful units
mnemonics
a memory trick or technique for remembering specific facts. (ROYGBIV)
spacing effect
the tendency for distributed study or practice to yield better long-term retention than is achieved through massed practice
testing effect
an enhancement in the long-term retention of information as a result of taking a memory test.
shallow processing
Processing information based on its surface characteristics
deep processing
Processing information with respect to its meaning.
semantic memory
recalling a password and holding it in working memory, for example, would activate the left frontal lobe
episodic memory
calling up a visual party scene would more likely activate the right frontal lobe
memory consolidation
a memory is stored like a library, and the memory itself doesn’t change, even if you forget some of it
flashbulb memory
a clear, sustained long-term memory of an emotionally significant moment or event
long-term potentiation (LTP)
an increase in a cell’s firing potential after brief, rapid stimulation. it is a neural basis for learning and memory
Priming
activation, often unconsciously, of particular associations in long-term implicit memory
Encoding Specificity principle
memories are linked to the context in which they are created. It states that it’s easier to recall information when you are in the same context in which you memorized or studied it.
mood-congruent memory
a tendency to recall experiences that are consistent with one’s current good or bad emotional state
serial position effect
we remember the first and last things in a list the best
anterograde amnesia
an inability to form new memories due to injury or illness
retrograde amnesia
an inability to retrieve information from one’s past due to injury or illness
proactive interference
occurs when older memories interfere with the retrieval of newer memories
retroactive interference
occurs when newer memories interfere with the retrieval of older memories
repression
the basic defense mechanism that banishes from consciousness anxiety-arousing thoughts, feelings and memories
reconsolidation
a process in which previously store memories, when retrieved, are potentially altered before being stored again
misinformation effect
occurs when misleading information has distorted one’s memory of an event
source amnesia
faulty memory for how, when or where info was learned or imagined
Hermann Ebbinghaus
pioneered the experimental study of memory, and is known for his discovery of the forgetting curve and the spacing effect. He was also the first person to describe the learning curve.
Richard Atkinson
developed the field of mathematical modeling in psychology. His work established the validity of mathematical modeling as a powerful tool for illuminating complex cognitive phenomena.
Richard Shiffrin
contributed a number of theories of attention and memory to the field of psychology. He co-authored the Atkinson–Shiffrin model of memory in 1968 with Richard Atkinson,[1] who was his academic adviser at the time. In 1977, he published a theory of attention with Walter Schneider.
Elizabeth Loftus
helped proved why eyewitness testimonies can often be inaccurate
Robert Sternberg
developed a testing instrument to identify people who are gifted in ways that other tests don’t identify.
Wolfgang Kohler
Insight learning is perhaps the greatest contribution Wolfgang Kohler made to psychology. Building off the influence of gestalt psychology, Kohler discovered that learning can occur when we gain insight into an entire situation, as opposed to focusing only on an individual part.
Noam Chomsky
the concept of universal grammar, which states that language is innate, or inborn, instead of learned, as is believed in behaviorism theory
Paul Broca
discovery of the speech production center of the brain
Carl Wernicke
discovery of the area in the cerebrum responsible for receptive language/speech phenomena in the superior gyrus of the temporal lobe
Benjamin Lee Whorf
his ideas about linguistic relativity, the hypothesis that language influences thought
