Fundamental Themes in the Psychology of Learning and Memory

A set of vocabulary flashcards covering key concepts from the lecture on psychology of learning and memory.

Memory

The effect of specific past experiences on a current behavior; a body of knowledge; the ability to encode, store, and retrieve information.

Short-term memory

Memories that a person is currently consciously aware of.

Long-term memory

All of the memories that a person could potentially bring into consciousness should they wish to.

Implicit memory

Memory that functions outside of awareness, storing and retrieving information based only on sensory input.

Explicit memory

Memory responsible for all memory within awareness.

Learning

The process by which changes in behavior arise as a result of an organism’s experience interacting with the world.

Episodic memory

A type of explicit memory that involves recollection of specific events or experiences.

Semantic memory

A type of explicit memory that involves factual information and general knowledge.

Dualism

The principle that the mind and body exist as separate entities, each with different characteristics.

Tabula rasa

The idea that individuals are born as a 'blank slate,' ready to be influenced by experience and learning.

Behaviorism

A school of thought that emphasizes the study of observable behaviors rather than unobservable mental processes.

Classical Conditioning

A learning process that involves associating a neutral stimulus with an unconditioned stimulus to elicit a conditioned response.

Law of Effect

Thorndike's principle that rewarded behavior is likely to recur.

Cognitive map

An internal psychological representation of the spatial layout of the external world, as proposed by Edward Tolman.

Information Theory

A mathematical approach introduced to understand memory capacity and information processing.

Distributed practice

Study technique where information is studied over time rather than in a single session, leading to better retention.

Non-linearity of the learning curve

The discovery that the relationship between learning time and retention is not a straight line; it varies at different points.