Key Terms Memory for Intro to Psychology

These flashcards cover key terms and concepts related to memory in psychology, providing essential definitions and explanations for each term.

What is memory?

The persistence of learning over time through the storage and retrieval of information.

What is a flashbulb memory?

A clear memory of an emotionally significant moment or event.

What is encoding in the context of memory?

The process of information into the memory system, such as by extracting meaning.

What does storage refer to in memory?

The retention of encoded information over time.

What is retrieval in the context of memory?

The process of getting information out of memory storage.

Define sensory memory.

The immediate, very brief recording of sensory information in the memory system.

What is short-term memory?

Activated memory that holds a few items briefly before the information is stored or forgotten.

What characterizes long-term memory?

The relatively permanent and limitless storehouse of the memory system, including knowledge, skills, and experiences.

What is working memory?

A newer understanding of short-term memory that involves conscious, active processing of incoming auditory and visual-spatial information.

What is automatic processing?

Unconscious encoding of incidental information and well-learned information.

Define effortful processing.

Encoding that requires attention and conscious effort.

What is rehearsal?

The conscious repetition of information to maintain it in consciousness or to encode it for storage.

What is the spacing effect?

The tendency for distributed study or practice to yield better long-term retention.

Describe the serial position effect.

Our tendency to recall best the last and first items in a list.

What does visual encoding involve?

The encoding of picture images.

What is acoustic encoding?

The encoding of sound, especially the sound of words.

Define semantic encoding.

The encoding of meaning, including the meaning of words.

What is imagery in the context of memory?

Mental pictures that aid effortful processing, especially when combined with semantic encoding.

Define mnemonics.

Memory aids, especially those techniques that use vivid imagery and organizational devices.

What is chunking?

Organizing items into familiar, manageable units.

What is iconic memory?

A momentary sensory memory of visual stimuli; a photographic memory lasting no more than a few tenths of a second.

What does echoic memory refer to?

A momentary sensory memory of auditory stimuli that can still be recalled within 3 or 4 seconds.

What is long-term potentiation (LTP)?

An increase in a synapse's firing potential after brief, rapid stimulation; believed to be a neural basis for learning.

What is amnesia?

The loss of memory.

What is implicit memory?

Retention independent of conscious recollection, also called procedural memory.

Define explicit memory.

Memory of facts and experiences that can be consciously known and declared.

What does recall mean in memory terms?

A measure of memory in which the person must retrieve information learned earlier.

What is recognition in memory assessment?

A measure of memory where the person identifies items previously learned.

Define relearning.

A memory measure assessing the amount of time saved when learning material for a second time.

What does priming refer to in memory?

The activation of particular associations in memory, often unconsciously.

What is déjà vu?

The sense that 'I've experienced this before,' triggered by cues from the current situation.

What is mood-congruent memory?

The tendency to recall experiences consistent with one's current mood.

What is proactive interference?

The disruptive effect of prior learning on the recall of new information.

What is retroactive interference?

The disruptive effect of new learning on the recall of old information.

Define repression in psychoanalytic theory.

The defense mechanism that banishes anxiety-arousing thoughts from consciousness.

What is the misinformation effect?

Incorporating misleading information into one's memory of an event.

What does source amnesia mean?

Attributing the wrong source to an event we have experienced or heard about.