Psychology Ch. 9

Question 1

Encoding

Answer 1

How information enters our memory system from sensory input (the info getting put in the filing cabinet)

Question 2

Storage

Answer 2

The retention of encoded info (the files getting stored in the filing cabinet for later use)

Question 3

Retrieval

Answer 3

How we recall or remember stored info when we need it (pulling the info from the filling cabinet when needed.)

Question 4

The “Spotlight” of Attention

Answer 4

Attention is: Limited Selective - It is also most often the
first step toward remembering something

Question 5

Sensory Memory

Answer 5

Our 5 senses – shortest memory lasting a few seconds. (echoic [sound- several seconds], iconic [visual- 1/2 a second], Haptic [touch], Olfactory [smell], Gustory [taste].

Question 6

Short term memory

Answer 6

Held longer than sensory usually 20-30 seconds. - can usually only remember up to 7 things at once.

Question 7

Chunking

Answer 7

being able to chunk memories together in order to remember more than 7 (eg., ROYGBIV - instead of red orange yellow… )

Question 8

Working Memory

Answer 8

Updated model of short term memory - used to temporarily store and manipulate info in short term memory.

Question 9

Central Executive

Answer 9

“control center.” directs attention to relevant info. (CEO of system)

Question 10

Visuospatial Sketchpad

Answer 10

Our ability to hold visual info (eg., giving someone directions to an office - visualizing how you get there while speaking.)

Question 11

Phonological Loop

Answer 11

Holds auditory info (having to repeat a phone number to yourself until you can write it down)

Question 12

Episodic Buffer

Answer 12

A buddy that helps you remember stuff, takes bits of info and connects them to what you already know, and turns it into a story for your brain to remember.

Question 13

Maintenance rehearsal

Answer 13

Repetition of information - (saying a license plate number silently or out loud until you get to your computer to write it down.)

Question 14

Long term memory (LTR)

Answer 14

Memory that can last weeks, months, years, or forever. (no known capacity)

Question 15

Declarative Memory (Explicit)

Answer 15

Memories that we are consciously aware of – we know we have these memories. (recalling info for an upcoming test)

Question 16

Nondeclarative (Implicit)

Answer 16

unconscious memory – we acquire without awareness of attention (muscle memory - brushing your teeth)

Question 17

Episodic memory

Answer 17

type of explicit memory (reliving something - the last wedding you went to.)

Question 18

Autobiographical memory

Answer 18

both semantic and episodic – relates to info about yourself (birthday, cities you’ve lived in.)

Question 19

Highly superior autobiographical memory (HSAM)

Answer 19

people that can remember basically everything (perfect memory for things that have personally experienced.)

Question 20

Procedural memory

Answer 20

Motor memory eg., tying your shoes, riding a bike (you cannot teach someone to ride a bike by just explaining it.)

Question 21

Priming

Answer 21

our processing of info is affected by some previous info

Imagine you watch a documentary on sharks before going on a beach vacation. The next day, you might feel more anxious about swimming in the ocean. Your anxiety could be heightened due to the shark-related information priming your perception of the ocean as dangerous, even though the actual risk hasn’t changed.

Question 22

Retrieval cue

Answer 22

Stimuli that helps people retrieve memories (eg., a smell reminding you of your favorite meal.)

Question 23

Encoding specificity principle

Answer 23

you’ll remember information better if the conditions when you learn something (like your environment) match the conditions when you need to remember it. (eg., studying and taking an exam in the same room.)

Question 24

State - dependent memory

Answer 24

the phenomenon where people are more likely to recall information if they are in the same state during recall as they were when they encoded (learned) the information. This “state” can include emotional states, physical conditions, or levels of consciousness. (if people were drunk when they encoded memories they are most likely to recall them while drunk.)

Question 24

Context - dependent memory

Answer 24

occurs when the recall situation is similar to the encoding situation (similar in terms of physical location.)

A common real-life example is walking into a room and forgetting why you went there in the first place. Often, returning to the original room where the decision to go to another room was made can help you remember your original intention

Question 25

Spreading activation model

Answer 25

it describes how your thoughts and memories are connected in a network in the brain. when one though or memory is triggered it activates its connected thoughts and memories (seeing a can of coke in a movie and then wanting to drank that can of coke yourself.)

Question 26

Schemas

Answer 26

Mental frameworks - a set of expectations about objects and situations. (like a coat rack - organize memories in meaningful way.)

Question 27

Serial position effect

Answer 27

the tendency to remember the first and last items in a list rather than those in the midde.

Question 28

Primacy effect

Answer 28

remembering the first piece of info when we encounter that info later on.

Question 29

Recency effect

Answer 29

Remembering the things from the end of a list.

Question 30

Decay

Answer 30

if a person doesn’t access and use the memory they have formed it will fade or decay over time.

Question 31

Proactive interference

Answer 31

interferes with the ability to learn new information because of previously learned materials (having difficulty remembering friends new number after knowing their own number.)

Question 32

Retroactive interference

Answer 32

when learning new info interferes with the recall of old info (eg., once you learned new number you cannot remember your old number. )

Question 33

Mnemonics

Answer 33

used to help learners recall larger pieces of info (ABC song, or PEMDAS.)

Question 34

Method of Loci

Answer 34

Mnemonic memory strategy (eg., mentally placing items in a grocery store in their correct department.)

Question 35

Semantic Memory

Answer 35

Facts you know (capital of France, cats have tails etc..)

Question 36

Iconic Memory

Answer 36

Quick snapshot that your eyes take after the physcial stimulus is no longer present. (basically a super quci photo that your eyes take when you blink, helping your brain catch up to understand whats around you.)

Question 36

Echoic memory

Answer 36

Quick snapshot of sounds you hear, similar to iconic memory but can last a bit longer

Question 37

Elaborative rehearsal

Answer 37

type of rehearsal that is useful in transferring info into long term memory. instead of just repeating info over and over. you are thinking about it and making connection to things you already understand.

Question 38

George Sperling Grid experiments

Answer 38

Flash of Letters: Sperling showed people a quick flash of letters arranged in a grid for just a moment—like a blink.

Quick Memory Test: After the quick flash, he asked people to recall as many letters as possible.

Results: People could remember some letters, but not all of them. It turned out, they could recall more letters from a specific row if they were asked about that row right after the flash.

Question 39

Levels of processing theory

Answer 39

When you think more deeply about a word, connecting it to its meaning, you’re more likely to remember it. It’s like studying in a way that makes the information more meaningful to you.

Question 40

Medial temporal lobe

Answer 40

(includes hippocampus):
Critical for episodic and spatial memory; encoding,
consolidation, retrieval
Removed in Patient H.M.

Question 41

Patient HM

Answer 41

Henry Molaison, H.M. underwent brain surgery to alleviate severe epilepsy. The surgery involved the removal of portions of his medial temporal lobes, including the hippocampus

experienced severe anterograde amnesia, which means he could no longer form new long-term memories after the surgery. His short-term memory remained intact, allowing him to recall recent events, but he could not convert them into long-term memories.

Question 42

The hippocamous and spatial memory

Answer 42

forming cognitive maps mental representations of the layout of one’s environment. This function is crucial for navigating through space and locating objects or places.
e.g Rats and the Morris Water Maze

Question 43

Absentmindedness

Answer 43

Imagine you’re trying to remember where you put your keys, but you can’t recall. Absentmindedness is like when you don’t pay enough attention when storing information, and later, you struggle to retrieve it.