AP Psych memory quiz

Self Reference Effect

People’s tendency to better remember when that information has been linked to the self. Our brains encode personalized information differently, resulting in enhanced recall, learning.

Recall

Retrieving information that is not currently in your conscious awareness but that was learned at an earlier time.

Recognition

Identifying items previously learned.

Relearning

Learning something more quickly when you learn it a second or later time.

Long-term potentiation (LTP)

A process in the brain that strengthens the connection between two neurons after repeated stimulation (studying, relearning, etc). LTP helps stabilize the memory trace in the brain after learning.

The Serial Position Effect

People tend to recall the first and last items in a list more effectively than those in the middle. This effect is divided into two components.

Serial Position Effect: The Primacy Effect

Better recall of the first items due to greater rehearsal

Serial Position Effect: The Recency Effect

The improved recall of items at the end of the list because they are still in short-term memory.

Encoding

Initial process of taking sensory input and transforming it into a format that can be stored in memory

Storage

The retention of encoded information over time

Retrieval

The process of getting information out of memory storage, brought to awareness

Multi-Store Memory Model

Memory as comprising three distinct stores. Information moves through these stores sequentially in a linear process, via attention, rehearsal, and retrieval.

Stage 1: Sensory storage

a. Iconic memory

b. Echoic memory

fleeting memory activated by 5 senses

a. visual momentary sensory memory (less than half a second)

b. auditory momentary sensory memory (3-4 seconds)

Stage 2: Short-term memory

a. Elaborative rehearsal

b. Maintenance rehersal

activated memory that holds a few items (on avg 7) for a brief time (typically 18-30 seconds). Elaborative rehearsal rather than maintenance rehearsal is more likely to be transferred to long-term memory.

a. making associations; memory aids

b. repeating information

Long-term memory

relatively permanent and limitless storehouse of the memory system

Chunking

organization of items into familiar, manageable units; often occurs automatically

Working Memory (short-term memory) Model

Central executive: controls information flow, sets goals, and directs attention.

Episodic Buffer: Combines sounds, visuals, and long-term memories into short, temporary experiences with limited capacity.

Visuospatial Sketchpad: Holds and manipulates visual and spatial information, like a mental canvas.

Phonological Loop: Briefly stores and rehearses verbal content (e.g., speech, sounds, words).

Levels of Processing Model

scale for the level of processing - shallow to deep… Structural = shallow, Phonemic = in the middle, Semantic = deep

Structural (or visual) judgement

or attending to how the word looks (shallow processing), yields the lowest remembering.

Phonemic judgement

or attending to the word sound, results in shallow processing

Semantic judgement

or thinking about a word’s meaning, allows for deep processing and best memory.

Effortful processing strategies

1. Mnemonics (memory aids, shortcuts): Method of loci (items to be remembered are converted into mental images & associated with specific locations), Chunking

2. Hierarchies: grouping or organizing information into concepts

Explicit Memories (+ examples)

requires conscious recall (effort & intention.) This is called Effortful Processing

Ex. 1: Semantic memory - facts (improves with age)

Ex. 2: Episodic memory - personally experienced evetns (declines with age)

Implicit Memories (+ examples)

does not require effort to remember. This is called Automatic Processing.

Ex. 1: Procedural memory: acquisition of skills as a result of practice

Ex. 2: Priming: an enhanced ability to think of something as a result of a cue

Frontal lobes

higher order thinking skills - Explicit memories

Hippocampus

formation of new memories - Explicit memories

Metacognition

Awareness of our thoughts towards a task to help control our learning (attached to meaning). Successful retrieval is more likely when using metacognition as a retrieval practice.

Spacing Effect

the tendency for distributed study or practice to yield better long-term retention

Spacing: Distributed practice

longer practice and rest periods leads to better long-term recall

Spacing: Massive practice

produces speedy short-term learning and feelings of confidence but not long-term retention

Retrograde amnesia

Unable to recall events that occurred before the brain injury but able to recall new events (usually temporary).

Anterograde amnesia

unable to create memories after the brain injury (form is typically permanent)

Infantile amnesia

the brain systems required to encode and retrieve specific events are not adequately developed to support long-term memory before age three (Command of language needed, development of hippocampus

Alzheimer’s Disease

brain disease that gradually erodes an individual’s memory, intellectual abilities, and personality.

Prospective Memory

remembering to perform an intended action

Context-dependent memory

improved recall of information when the context present at encoding and retrieval are the same.

Mood-congruent

mood states affect memory. Your mind focuses on memories that reflect your current emotional state.

State-dependent memory

memory for a past event is improved when the person is in the same biological or physical state (tired, awake, altered state) as when the memory was initially formed.

Interference

the blocking of a memory by the learning or remembering of other conflicting material. Interference can be proactive or retroactive

Proactive interference

OLD BLOCKS NEW

Retroactive interference

NEW BLOCKS OLD

Imagination Inflation

the finding that imagining an event which never happened can increase confidence that it actually occurred.

Misinformation effect

incorporating misleading information into one’s memory of an event