Unit 7A: Memory Flashcards
Learning that has persisted over time
Memory
The process of placing information into our brain
encoding
The process of retaining information in our brain
storage
The process of getting information out of memory storage
Retrieval
Very brief storage of information in the brain (4 second maximum for auditory, 1/2 second for visual)
Sensory memory
Information that is stored in the mind for 20-30 seconds, then is forgotten (unless it is stored in long-term memory)
Short-term memory
Information that is encoded deeply into the brain for future retrieval, minutes or decades later.
Long-term memory
Information taken from long-term memory that is immediately available and active (like RAM in a computer)
Working memory
The process of doing many mental tasks at once
Parallel processing
Unconscious problem solving (e.g. holding a cup of coffee so that it doesn’t spill while talking)
Automatic processing
Information that is purposefully placed into long-term memory
Effortful processing
Repeating information over and over in an effort to encode it into long-term memory
Rehearsal
Distributed study or practice are better for long-term memory encoding than “cramming”
Spacing effect
We remember the first and last items in a list better than we remember the middle items
Serial position effect
The encoding of visual stimuli into long-term memory
visual encoding
The encoding of auditory stimuli into long-term memory (including words or sounds)
acoustic encoding
The encoding of meaning into long-term memory
semantic encoding
Place the following three types of encoding in order from most efficient to least efficient for effortful encoding
- Semantic encoding (“it’s a type of…”)
- Acoustic encoding (“It rhymes with…”)
- Visual encoding (It’s bolded or italicized)
Creating mental pictures of an item; greatly helps long-term memory encoding
Imagery
Organizational devices designed to aid imagery in the encoding of information to long-term memory
Mnemonics
The strengthening of neural connections which provides a basis for learning
Long-term potentiation
A very clear memory of an emotionally significant event
Flashbulb memory
The loss of memory
amnesia
Memory of how we do things (e.g. riding a bike, playing an instrument)
Implicit memory (aka nondeclarative memory)
Memory of facts and experiences (e.g. The capital of Maine)
Explicit memory (aka declarative memory)
Neural center located in the limbic system that processes explicit memories for storage.
Hippocampus
Retrieving information not in conscious awareness
Recall
A measure of the amount of time saved when learning information a second time
Relearning
Any object, person or experience that activates an association to a stored memory
Priming
The feeling that you’ve experienced something before, when you have not
Deja Vu
Humans have a tendency only to recall memories that are consistent with their current mood
Mood-congruent
Disruption of current memory storage because of prior learning
Proactive interference
Disruption of old memory recall because of new learning
Retroactive interference
The unconscious mind’s forgetting of emotionally damaging experiences to shield ourselves from them.
Repression
Misleading information can influence a person’s memory of an event
Misinformation Effect
Remembering information but attributing it to the wrong source
Source amnesia
The region of the brain that processes implicit memories for storage
Cerebellum
The tendency to remember the first items in a list
Primacy Effect
The tendency to remember only the most recent (last) items in a list
Recency Effect
