Unit 5: Cognitive Psychology - Memory

A set of vocabulary flashcards based on Unit 5 of Cognitive Psychology, covering types of memory, key historical figures, and duration specific to different memory types.

Cognition

Also known as “processing,” it refers to the study of how people think and process information.

Wolfgang Köhler

A historical figure in cognitive psychology whose research focus was on how we process information.

Hermann Ebbinghaus

Conducted the first recorded studies on short-term memory and forgetting, and developed the “forgetting curve.”

Francis Galton

A historical figure in cognitive psychology whose research focus was on how to define and measure intelligence.

Noam Chomsky

A historical figure in cognitive psychology whose research focus was on how we learn language.

Short-Term Memory

Memory that can only be stored for a brief period of time, approximately $30\,\text{seconds}$.

Long-Term Memory

Memory that can be stored over long periods of time; the capacity is unlimited.

The Magic Number

The number of items most people can store in short-term memory, which is seven plus or minus two.

George A. Miller

Researcher of short-term memory who named the “magic number,” seven plus or minus two.

Explicit Memory

The stored memory of facts and occurrences.

Semantic Memory

A type of explicit memory that involves the memory of ideas, facts, and concepts.

Episodic Memory

A type of explicit memory that involves memories of personal experiences.

Implicit (Procedural) Memory

The unconscious memory of how to do repetitive, everyday tasks, representing the opposite of explicit memory.

Sensory Memory

The ability to remember information from one of the five senses.

Iconic Memory

The memory of visual information, which lasts approximately $3-4\,\text{seconds}$.

Echoic Memory

The memory of auditory information, which lasts approximately $\frac{1}{4}-\frac{1}{2}\,\text{a second}$.

Prospective Memory

Remembering to perform an action at a certain time, such as taking medicine or turning off an oven.

Flashbulb Memory

A very clear memory of an emotionally significant event that is remembered vividly, though studies show people are often inaccurate about them.

Elizabeth Loftus

A key researcher on the development of false memories whose work led to reforms of eyewitness testimony in the legal system.