Psych ch. 8

Question 1

encoding

Answer 1

the processing of informa- tion into the memory system—for exam- ple, by extracting meaning.

Question 2

storage

Answer 2

the retention of encoded information over time.

Question 3

retrieval

Answer 3

the process of getting information out of memory storage.

Question 4

sensory memory

Answer 4

the immediate, very brief recording of sensory information in the memory system.

Question 5

short-term memory

Answer 5

activated memo- ry that holds a few items briefly, such as the seven digits of a phone number while dialing, before the information is stored or forgotten.

Question 6

long-term memory

Answer 6

the relatively per- manent and limitless storehouse of the memory system. Includes knowledge, skills, and experiences.

Question 7

working memory

Answer 7

a newer under- standing 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.

Question 8

automatic processing

Answer 8

unconscious encoding of incidental information, such as space, time, and frequency, and of well-learned information, such as word meanings.

Question 9

effortful processing

Answer 9

encoding that requires attention and conscious effort.

Question 10

rehearsal

Answer 10

the conscious repetition of information, either to maintain it in con- sciousness or to encode it for storage.

Question 11

spacing effect

Answer 11

the tendency for dis- tributed study or practice to yield better long-term retention than is achieved through massed study or practice.

Question 12

serial position effect

Answer 12

recall best the last and first items in a list

Question 13

visual encoding

Answer 13

the encoding of pic- ture images.

Question 14

acoustic encoding

Answer 14

the encoding of sound, especially the sound of words.

Question 15

semantic encoding

Answer 15

the encoding of meaning, including the meaning of words.

Question 16

imagery

Answer 16

mental pictures; a powerful aid to effortful processing, especially when combined with semantic encoding.

Question 17

mnemonics

Answer 17

memory aids, especially those techniques that use vivid imagery and organizational devices.

Question 18

chunking

Answer 18

organizing items into famil- iar, manageable units; often occurs automatically.

Question 19

iconic memory

Answer 19

a momentary sensory memory of visual stimuli; a photographic or picture-image memory lasting no more than a few tenths of a second.

Question 20

echoic memory

Answer 20

a momentary sensory memory of auditory stimuli; if attention is elsewhere, sounds and words can still be recalled within 3 or 4 seconds.

Question 21

long-term potentiation (LTP)

Answer 21

an increase in a synapse’s firing potential after brief, rapid stimulation. Believed to be a neural basis for learning and memory.

Question 22

flashbulb memory

Answer 22

a clear memory of an emotionally significant moment or event.

Question 23

amnesia

Answer 23

the loss of memory.

Question 24

implicit memory

Answer 24

retention indepen- dent of conscious recollection. (Also called nondeclarative memory.)

Question 25

explicit memory

Answer 25

memory of facts and experiences that one can conscious- ly know and “declare.” (Also called declarative memory.)

Question 26

hippocampus

Answer 26

a neural center that is located in the limbic system; helps process explicit memories for storage.

Question 27

recall

Answer 27

a measure of memory in which the person must retrieve information learned earlier, as on a fill-in-the-blank test.

Question 28

recognition

Answer 28

a measure of memory in which the person need only identify items previously learned, as on a multiple-choice test.

Question 29

relearning

Answer 29

a measure of memory that assesses the amount of time saved when learning material for a second time.

Question 30

priming

Answer 30

the activation, often unconsciously, of particular associations in memory.

Question 31

déjà vu

Answer 31

that eerie sense that “I’ve experienced this before.” Cues from the current situation may subconsciously trigger retrieval of an earlier experience.

Question 32

mood-congruent memory

Answer 32

he tendency to recall experiences that are consistent with one’s current good or bad mood.

Question 33

proactive interference

Answer 33

the disruptive effect of prior learning on the recall of new information.

Question 34

retroactive interference

Answer 34

he disrup- tive effect of new learning on the recall of old information.

Question 35

repression

Answer 35

in psychoanalytic theory, the basic defense mechanism that banishes from consciousness anxiety- arousing thoughts, feelings, and memories.

Question 36

misinformation effect

Answer 36

incorporating misleading information into one’s mem- ory of an event.

Question 37

source amnesia

Answer 37

attributing to the wrong source an event we have experi- enced, heard about, read about, or imagined. (Also called source misattri- bution.) Source amnesia, along with the misinformation effect, is at the heart of many false memories.