psych unit 2 part 2 memory

Encoding

The process of getting information into memory.

Storage

Retaining information over time.

Retrieval

Accessing information that has already been stored.

Sensory Memory

The immediate, very brief recording of sensory information through the senses.

Iconic Memory

Brief visual sensory memory.

Echoic Memory

Brief auditory sensory memory.

Short-Term Memory (STM)

Temporarily holds a limited amount of information, usually for about 15–30 seconds without rehearsal.

Working Memory

An active system that temporarily holds and manipulates information.

Long-Term Memory (LTM)

Relatively permanent storage of information with a large capacity.

Multi-Store Model

A model explaining how information moves through sensory memory, short-term memory, and long-term memory.

Explicit Memory

Conscious memories of facts and experiences that can be intentionally recalled.

Implicit Memory

Memories that influence behavior without conscious awareness.

Procedural Memory

Memory for skills and actions, such as riding a bike.

Episodic Memory

Memory of personal experiences and events.

Semantic Memory

Memory of general facts, knowledge, and concepts.

Prospective Memory

Remembering to perform an action in the future.

Autobiographical Memory

Memory of personal life experiences and information about oneself.

Effortful Processing

Encoding that requires conscious attention and effort.

Automatic Processing

Encoding that occurs without conscious effort.

Structural Level/Shallow Processing

Processing information based on its physical appearance.

Phonemic Level/Shallow Processing

Processing information based on how it sounds.

Semantic Level/Deep Processing

Processing information based on its meaning, generally leading to better long-term retention.

Levels of Processing Model

A model explaining how deeply information is processed and how that affects memory.

Maintenance Rehearsal

Repeating information over and over to keep it in short-term memory.

Elaborative Rehearsal

Connecting new information to existing knowledge or personal experiences to improve memory.

Chunking

Organizing information into smaller, meaningful groups to make it easier to remember.

Mnemonic Devices

Memory techniques that help encode and retrieve information.

Method of Loci

A mnemonic technique that involves associating information with specific locations in a familiar place.

Categories

Groups of similar information organized together to improve memory.

Hierarchies

Organizing information from broader categories to more specific categories.

Long-Term Potentiation (LTP)

A lasting strengthening of connections between neurons that helps explain learning and memory.

Spacing Effect

The tendency to remember information better when studying is spread over time.

Massed Practice

Studying information in one long session, commonly known as cramming.

Distributed Practice

Studying information in multiple sessions spread over time.

Testing Effect

The improvement of long-term memory through retrieving information using practice tests.

Serial Position Effect

The tendency to remember the first and last items in a list better than the middle items.

Primacy Effect

The tendency to remember items at the beginning of a list better.

Recency Effect

The tendency to remember items at the end of a list better.

Recall

Retrieving information from memory without being given answer choices.

Recognition

Identifying information that has previously been learned.

Retrieval Cues

Clues or stimuli that help trigger the retrieval of stored memories.

State-Dependent Memory

Better recall when your internal state is similar to the state you were in when learning the information.

Context-Dependent Memory

Better recall when you are in the same physical environment where you originally learned information.

Mood-Congruent Memory

The tendency to recall memories that match your current mood.

Metacognition

Thinking about and monitoring your own thinking and learning.

TOT Phenomenon (Tip-of-the-Tongue)

When you know information but temporarily cannot retrieve it.

(Ebbinghaus) Forgetting Curve

Shows that forgetting happens rapidly at first and then slows down over time.

Encoding Failure

When information is never properly encoded into long-term memory.

Proactive Interference

When old information interferes with the ability to remember new information.

Retroactive Interference

When new information interferes with the ability to remember old information.

Anterograde Amnesia

The inability or difficulty forming new long-term memories after brain damage.

Retrograde Amnesia

The loss of memories from before a brain injury or event.

Infantile Amnesia

The inability to remember most experiences from early childhood.

Source Amnesia

Remembering information but forgetting where, when, or how it was learned.

Alzheimer's Disease

A progressive brain disorder that damages memory and other cognitive abilities.

Constructive Memory

The process of reconstructing memories rather than replaying them exactly, allowing expectations and experiences to influence recall.

Elizabeth Loftus

Psychologist known for research on memory reconstruction and the misinformation effect.

Misinformation Effect

When misleading information presented after an event changes how someone remembers that event.

Imagination Inflation

When imagining an event increases a person's belief that the event actually happened.

Repression

In Freudian theory, the unconscious blocking of distressing memories or thoughts from conscious awareness.

Psychodynamic Theorists

Theorists associated with Freud's ideas about unconscious thoughts and conflicts influencing behavior.

Memory Consolidation

The process through which newly formed memories become more stable and integrated into long-term memory.

Hippocampus

A brain structure essential for forming new explicit long-term memories and consolidating memories.

Central Executive

The part of working memory that directs attention and coordinates other components.

Phonological Loop

The working memory component that temporarily stores and rehearses verbal and auditory information.

Visuospatial Sketchpad

The working memory component that temporarily stores and manipulates visual and spatial information.