WWU Psychology 101 Mana: Chapter 6 (Memory) Flashcards
Memory
the ability to store and retrieve information over time… continuous, dynamic representation of information in the brain… information moves from sensation to perception to memory (neural plasticity)
Storage of Memory (how it works)
made by combing information we already have in our brains with new information that comes through our senses, constructed not recorded
Semantic Judgments
thinking about meaning of words
Rhyme Judgments
thinking about the sound of words
Visual Judgments
thinking about the appearance of words
Semantic Encoding
process of relating new information in a meaningful way to knowledge that is already stored in memory (lower left part of frontal lobe and inner part of left temporal lobe)
Visual Imagery Encoding
the process of storing new information by converting it into mental pictures (activates visual processing regions in occipital lobe - can substantially improve memory)
Organizational Encoding
the process of categorizing information according to the relationships among a series of items (upper surface of left frontal lobe)
Survival Encoding
higher levels of recall than several other non-survival encoding tasks involving all encoding listed previously (uses all three)
storage
process of maintaining information in memory over time
Sensory memory
type of storage that holds sensory information for a few seconds or less
Iconic memory
fast-decaying store of visual information (visual cortex)
Echoic memory
fast-decaying store of auditory information (auditory cortex - sounds)
Short-term memory
holds non-sensory information for more than a few seconds but less than a minute (holds about seven meaningful items at once - limited to how long it can hold information it can hold)
Rehearsal
the process of keeping information in short-term memory by mentally repeating it
Chunking
combing small pieces of information into larger clusters or chunks that are more easily held in short-term memory
Working memory
active maintenance of information in short-term storage
Long-term memory storage
holds information for hours, days, weeks, or years (no known capacity limits - amygdala mostly responsible)
Anterograde Amnesia
cannot later remember events that occur after brain damage (amnesia for events occurring after the trauma)
Retrograde Amnesia
inability to retrieve information that was acquired before a particular date, usually the date of an injury or surgery
Consolidation
process by which memories become stable in the brain (can be easily disrupted shortly after encoding –> resistant to disruption after consolidation) - sleep plays important role
Reconsolidation
memories can become vulnerable to disruption when they are recalled, thus requiring them to be consolidated again
Connections between Neurons
strengthened by their communication “cells that fire together, wire together” –> long term memory
Long-term potentiation
whereby communication across the synapse between neurons strengthens the connection making further communication easier
Retrieval Cue
external information that is associated with stored information and helps bring it to mind
Encoding Specificity Principle
a retrieval cue can serve as an effective reminder when it helps re-create the specific way in which information was initially encoded
State-Dependent Memory Retrieval
tendency for information to be better recalled when the person is in the same state during encoding and retrieval of original memory
Transfer-appropriate processing
idea that memory is likely to transfer from one situation to another when the encoding and retrieval contexts of the situations match
Retrieval-induced Forgetting
process by which retrieving an item from long-term memory impairs subsequent recall of related items
Explicit Memory
when people consciously or intentionally retrieve past experiences… every time you say “I remember…” (with conscious recall)
Implicit memory
when past experiences influence later behavior and performance even without an effort to remember them or an awareness of the recollection (without conscious recall)
Procedural Memory
gradual acquisition of skills as a result of practice or “knowing how” to do things
Priming
an enhanced ability to think of a stimulus, such as a word or object, as a result of a recent exposure to the stimulus
Perceptual Priming
reflects implicit memory for the sensory features of an item
Conceptual Priming
reflects implicit memory for the meaning of a word or how you would use an object
Semantic Memory
network of associated facts and concepts that make up our general knowledge of the world
Episodic Memory
collection of past personal experiences that occurred at a particular time and place (hippocampus)
Collaborative Memory
how people remember in groups (helps with memory)
Nominal group
combined recall of several individuals recalling target items on their own
Transactive Memory
each member of the couple remembers certain kinds of information that they can share with the other
Amnesia
inability to remember something (associated with brain damage)
Henri Molaison
HM (treatment of epilepsy): temporal lobes are especially important to long term memory-HM’s surgery removed hippocampus and amygdala resulting in profound anterograde amnesia
Hippocampus
memory
Amygdala
emotional tone to memory
Glutamate
Formation in hippocampus depends on specific type of ______ synapse (most common excitatory neurotransmitter),-When this happens receptors change so that postsynaptic neurons are more easily activated in the future… this change represents the “memory” of information
Nootropics
intelligence enhancers -has to bind to NMDA-type glutamate receptors on postsynaptic neurons at the same time that the postsynaptic neurons are excited enough to have action potentials (needed to form memory)
