PSYCHOLOGY TEST

memories

experiences encoded, stored, and retrieved that strike when we sense something familiar

episodic

explicit memories of personally experienced events

semantic

explicit memories of facts and knowledge

long-term potentiation

an uptick in the chance for the brain to remember something

primary memory system (working memory)

processes sensory information → LTM

central executive

a memories that controls the phonological loop (verbal and auditory information)

phonological loop

a memory component that holds auditory information

visuospatial sketchpad

holds information about an objects appearance

long-term memory (LTM)

a nearly permanent storage space for learned information and experiences. It can hold memories for years

sensory memory

the immediate, very brief recording of sensory information in the memory space

iconic memory

a fleeting sensory memory due to visual stimuli

echoic memory

a fleeting auditory memory caused by sound

short-term memory

temporary storage space that holds a limited amount of information for a few seconds to minutes

encode

getting information into our brains (using sensory, auditory, etc info)

store

organizing, stabilizing, and keeping the translated information in your brain over time

retrieve

recalling/locating information and bringing it to your conscious mind

mnemonic

memory aid (ex: PEMDAS)

chunking

organizing items into familiar categories in order to recall them easier later

hierarchies

organizing info into descending groups of “what’s more important?”

serial position effect

we tend to remember the first and last things in a list for longer (serial = number)

primacy effect

the tendency to remember the first few items in a list better than the rest

autobiographical memory

when one memory triggers another, and then the brain falls down a rabbit hole of memories that tie back to the next

alzhemier’s disease

slowly strips away the persons memory and ability to do everyday tasks

recall

our ability to produce previously learned information

recognition

our ability to identify previously learned a items

context-dependent

the ability to better remember something based off things we tied to it (i.e a smell, a color, a sound, etc.)

mood-congruent

based on our mood, we may delete deeper into memories that match it, which would affect our current view on the world (note: depression)

state-dependent

what we learn in one state may be more easily recalled when we re-enter that state again (ex: drinking and tossing the keys somewhere and forgetting where they were at when sober)

forgetting curve

we forget new information quickly after first learning it, but as we continue to review it, over time the forgetfulness slows down

metacognition

the awareness and active control of one's own thought and learning processes

encoding failure

a memory enters the STM and isn’t properly stored away, leading to forgetting it

proactive interference

occurs when PRIOR learning (old info) disrupts your recall of NEW info

retroactive interference

occurs when NEW learning interrupts your recall of OLD info

tip-of-the-tongue phenomenon

when you know what you’re trying to say but the word won’t come to mind

misinformation effect

false info passed off as correct info becomes stored

source amnesia

faulty memory of how, when, or where info was learned or imagined

constructive memory

using past info to logically guess on new stuff

repression

the unconscious act of pushing painful memories, distressing thoughts, or unacceptable desires out of conscious awareness

imagination inflation

vividly imaging an event that never happened b/c the brain was tricked

consolidation

the neural storage of an LTM

gambler’s fallacy

the cognitive bias that a random event is less or more likely to happen based on the results of previous, independent events

priming

exposure to one stimulus (like a word, image, or smell) unconsciously influences how you respond to a later stimulus

assimilation

the mental process of taking new information and fitting it into existing ideas or categories without changing them

availability heuristic

a mental shortcut or "rule of thumb" that helps people make decisions, solve problems, and form judgments quickly with little mental effort

sunk-cost fallacy

the trap of continuing a bad choice just because you already put time, money, or effort into it.

divergent (thinking)

creating multiple creative, out of the box, ideas

convergent (thinking)

a problem-solving process that narrows down multiple options or pieces of information to find a single, correct answer

functional fixedness

a cognitive bias that limits you to using an object only in its traditional, everyday way, anti-divergent thinking

achievement

the successful completion, attainment, or reaching of a specific goal

schema

a mental framework that helps people organize, interpret, and process information from their daily experiences

cognitive dissonance

holding a thought that doesn’t match your behavior or actions, going against your moral compass

semantic

the process of storing general world knowledge that are independent from your personal experiences (ie 2+2=4)

elaborative rehearsal

remembering new faces by connecting them to things you already know (ie a spiderweb)

maintenance rehearsal

the simple repetition of info to keep it active in your STM

representative heuristic

probability or likelihood of something by comparing it to an existing mental prototype or stereotype you already have in your mind