Studied by 30 people
Memory
the persistence of learning over time through encoding
Encoding
the processing of information into the memory system--for example
Storage
the process of retaining encoded information over time (319)
Retrieval
the process of getting information out of memory storage (319)
Parallel processing
the processing of many aspects of a problem simultaneously
the brain's natural mode of information processing for many functions. Contrasts with the step-by-step (Serial) processing of most computers and of conscious problem solving (319)
Effortful processing
encoding that requires attention and conscious effort (320)
Shallow processing
encoding on a basic level based on the structure or appearance of words (324)
Deep processing
encoding semantically
tends to yield the best retention (325)
Hippocampus
a neural center located in the limbic system
helps process explicit memories for storage (330)
Selective attention
the focussing of conscious awareness on a particular stimulus (152)
Automatic processing
unconscious encoding of incidental information
Overlearning
additional rehearsal of information leads to increased retention
Rehearsal
the conscious repetition of information
Semantic encoding
the encoding of meaning
Mnemonic effect
memory aids
Method of loci
a mnemonic technique that involves associating items on a list with a sequence of familiar physical locations
Self-reference effect
the tendency to process efficiently and remember well information related to oneself
Chunking
organizing items into familiar
often occcurs automatically (323)
Basal ganglia
it receives messages from the motor cortex but does not send back information to the cortex for conscious awareness of procedural memory
Peg-word system
a mnemonic in which the items in a list to be remembered are associated with the sequential items in a memorized jingle and then the list is retrieved by going through the jingle and retrieving the associated items.
Sensory memory
the immediate
Working memory
a newer understanding of short-term memory that focuses on conscious
Serial position effect
our tendency to recall best the last (a recency effect) and first items (a primacy effect) in a list (337)
Context effect
the tendency to recover information more easily when the retrieval occurs in the same setting as the original learning of the information
Mood-congruent memory
the tendency to recall experiences that are consistent with one's current good or bad mood (337)
Testing effect
enhanced memory after retrieving
Spacing effect
the tendency for distributed study or practice to yield better long-term retention than is achieved through massed study or practice (324)
Permastore memory
long-term memories that are especially resistant to forgetting and are likely to last a lifetime
State-dependent memory
The theory that information learned in a particular state of mind (e.g.
Retroactive interference
the disruptive effect of new learning on the recall of old information (345)
Proactive interference
the disruptive effect of prior learning on the recall of new information (345)
Repression
in psychoanalytic theory
Anterograde amnesia
an inability to form new memories (342)
Short-term memory
activated memory that holds a few items briefly
Retrograde amnesia
an inability to retrieve information from one's past (342)
Misinformation effect
incorporating misleading information into one's memory of an event (347)
Source amnesia
attributing to the wrong source an event we have heard
Déjà vu
that eerie sense that 'I've experienced this before.' Cues from the current situation may unconsciously trigger retrieval of an earlier experience (349)
Reconsolidation
a process in which previously stored memories
Long-term memory
the relatively permanent and limitless storehouse of the memory system. Includes knowledge
Iconic memory
a momentary sensory memory of visual stimuli
a photographic or picture-image memory lasting no more than a few tenths of a second (322)
Flashbulb memory
a clear memory of an emotionally significant moment or event (332)
Long-term potentiation (LTP)
an increase in a cell's firing potential after brief
Echoic memory
a momentary sensory memory of auditory stimuli
if attention is elsewhere
sounds and words can still be recalled within 3 or 4 seconds (322)
Implicit memory
retention independent of conscious recollection. Also called nondeclarative memory (320)
Explicit memory
memory of facts and experiences that one can consciously know and "declare." Also called declarative memory (320)
Episodic memory
A category of long-term memory that involves the recollection of specific events
Recall
a measure of memory in which the person must retrieve information learned earlier
Recognition
a measure of memory in which the person need only identify items previously learned
Relearning
a measure of memory that assesses the amount of time saved when learning material again (334)
Priming
the activation
Semantic memory
a network of associated facts and concepts that make up our general knowledge of the world
Cognitive abilities
capabilities related to the acquisition and application of knowledge in problem solving
Convergent thinking
narrows the available problem solutions to determine the single best solution (357)
Divergent thinking
expands the number of possible problem solutions (creative thinking that diverges in different directions) (357)
Overconfidence
the tendency to be more confident than correct—to overestimate the accuracy of our beliefs and judgments (365)
Belief perseverance
clinging to one's initial conceptions after the basis on which they were formed has been discredited (367)
Framing
the way an issue is posed
how an issue is framed can significantly affect decisions and judgments (368)
Concept
a mental grouping of similar objects
Morpheme
in a language
may be a word or a part of a word (such as a prefix) (373)
Phoneme
in language
Syntax
The arrangement of words and phrases to create well-formed sentences in a language.
Aphasia
impairment of language
Grammar
in a language
Linguistic determinism
Whorf's hypothesis that language determines the way we think (379)
Algorithm
a methodical
Linguistic influence
the idea that language influences thought
Heuristic
a simple thinking strategy that often allows us to make judgments and solve problems efficiently
usually speedier but also more error-prone than algorithms (361)
Intuition
an effortless
Representative heuristic
judging the likelihood of things in terms of how well they seem to represent
Insight
a sudden realization of a problem's solution
contrasts with strategy-based solutions (361)
Availability heuristic
estimating the likelihood of events based on their availability in memory
if instances come readily to mind (perhaps because of their vividness)
we presume such events are common (364)
Mental set
a tendency to approach a problem in one particular way
Confirmation bias
a tendency to search for information that supports our preconceptions and to ignore or distort contradictory evidence (362)
Functional fixedness
the tendency to think of things only in terms of their usual functions
an impediment to problem solving
Prototype
a mental image or best example of a category. Matching new items to a prototype provides a quick and easy method for sorting items into categories (as when comparing feathered creatures to a prototypical bird
Fixation
according to Freud
Intelligence
the ability to learn from experience
General intelligence
a general intelligence factor that
Savant Syndrome
a condition in which a person otherwise limited in mental ability has an exceptional specific skill
Factor analysis
a statistical procedure that identifies clusters of related items (called factors) on a test
used to identify different dimensions of performance that underlie a person's total score.
Grit
passion and perseverance in the pursuit of long-term goals
Emotional intelligence
the ability to perceive
Achievement test
a test designed to assess what a person has learned
Aptitude test
a test designed to predict a person's future performance
aptitude is the capacity to learn
Intelligence test
a method for assessing an individual's mental aptitudes and comparing them with those of others
