Working Memory and Long-Term Memory

Flashcards covering key concepts related to working memory and long-term memory from the lecture notes.

Working Memory

The capacity to hold and manipulate information in mind over short periods.

Median Split

A method used for dividing a group into two halves based on a median score.

Digits Span Task

A test measuring working memory capacity by asking participants to repeat back a series of digits.

Category Fluency Task

A measure of verbal fluency that requires generating words that fit a specified category.

Independent Variable

An experimental factor that is manipulated to observe its effect on a dependent variable.

Dependent Variable

The outcome measured in an experiment, affected by changes in the independent variable.

Automatic Process

A mental process that occurs without conscious thought, often related to familiar tasks.

Attention-Demanding Process

A cognitive process that requires concentration and mental effort to perform.

Episodic Memory

Memory for personal experiences and specific events, including contextual details.

Semantic Memory

Memory for general knowledge and facts about the world, independent of personal experience.

Testing Effect

The phenomenon where taking a test on material enhances later retention of that information.

Dual Coding Hypothesis

A theory positing that memory is enhanced by creating both verbal and visual representations.

Levels of Processing Theory

A theory suggesting that deeper levels of processing result in better memory retention.

Transfer-Appropriate Processing Theory

The idea that retrieval success is dependent on the match between learning and testing conditions.

Picture Superiority Effect

The phenomenon where images are more memorable than words.

Encoding Specificity Principle

The principle stating that memories are best retrieved when the context at encoding matches that during retrieval.

Method of Loci

A mnemonic device that involves visualizing items to be remembered in specific physical locations.

Acronyms and Acrostics

Mnemonic techniques that use the first letters of words to form new words or phrases to enhance memory.

Digit Monitoring Task

A task where participants monitor for specific numbers while performing another cognitive task.

Correlational Analysis

A method of statistics used to evaluate the strength and direction of a relationship between two variables.