Unit 7A Vocab Flashcards
Memory
The persistence of learning overtime through the storage and retrieval of information
Encoding
The processing of information into the memory system
Storage
The retention of encoded information over time
Sensory memory
The immediate, very brief recording of sensory information in the memory system
Short term memory
Activated memory that holds A few items briefly, such as the seven digits of a phone number while dialing, before the image is stored or forgotten
Retrieval
The process of getting information out of the memory storage
Long term memory
The relatively permanent and limitless storehouse of the memory system. Includes knowledge, skills, and experiences.
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
Parallel processing
The processing of many aspects of a problem Simultaneously; the brains natural mode of information processing for many functions. Contrasts with the step-by-step processing of most computers and of conscious problem solving
Automatic processing
Unconscious encoding of incidental information, such a space, time, and frequency, and of well learned information such as word meanings
Effortful pfocessing
Encoding that requires attention and conscious effort
Rehearsal
The conscious repetition of information, either to maintain it in consciousness or to encode it for storage
Spacing Effect
The tendency for distributed study or practice to yield better long-term retention then is achieved through massed study or practice
Serial position effect
Our tendency to recall best the last and first items in a list
Visual encoding
The encoding of picture images
Acoustic encoding
The encoding of sound, especially the sound of words
Semantic encoding
The encoding of meaning, including the meaning of words
Imagery
Mental pictures; a powerful aid to effortful processing, especially when combined with semantic encoding.
Mnemonics
Memory aids, especially those techniques that use vivid imagery and organizational devices
Chunking
Organizing items into familiar, manageable units; often occurs automatically
Iconic memory
A momentary sensory memory of visual stimuli; a photographic, or picture image memory lasting no more than a few tenths of a second
Echoic memory
A momentary sensory memory of auditory stimuli; if attention is elsewhere, sounds in words can still be recalled within three or four seconds
Long Term Potentiation
An increase in a synapse’s firing potential after brief, rapid stimulation. Believed to be a neural basis for learning and memory.
Flashbulb memory
A clear memory of an emotionally significant moment or event
Amnesia
The loss of memory
Implicit memory
Retention independent of conscious recollection
Explicit memory
Memory of facts and experiences that one can consciously know and declare
Hippocampus
A neural center that is located in the limbic system; helps process explicit memories for storage
Recall
A measure of memory in which the person must retrieve information learned earlier, as on a fill in the blank test
Recognition
A measure of memory in which the person need only identify items previously learned, as on a multiple-choice test
Relearning
A measure of memory that assesses the amount of time saved when learning material for a second time
Priming
The activation, often unconsciously, of particular associations in memory
Déjà Vu
That eerie sense that “I’ve experienced this before.” Cues from the current situation may subconsciously trigger retrieval of an earlier experience
Mood-congruent memory
The tendency to recall experiences that are consistent with one’s current good or bad mood
Proactive Inferference
The disruptive effect of prior learning on the recall of new information
Retroactive interference
The disruptive effect of new learning on the recall of old information
Repression
A psychoanalytic theory, The basic defense mechanism him that banishes from consciousness anxiety arousing thoughts, feelings, and memories.
Misinformation Effect
Incorporating misleading information into one’s memory of an event
Source Amnesia
Attributing to the wrong source and event we have experienced, heard about, read about, or imagined. Source amnesia, along with the misinformation effect, is at the heart of many false memories.
