2.2A cognition

Encoding

Converting information into a form that can be stored in memory.

Mnemonic devices

Memory aids (like acronyms or rhymes) used to help remember information.

Method of loci

A mnemonic that involves placing items along a familiar mental route.

Chunking

Grouping information into manageable units to improve memory.

Categories (grouping)

Organizing information into groups based on shared traits.

Hierarchies (grouping)

Organizing information from most general to most specific.

Spacing effect

Learning is better when study sessions are spread out over time.

Memory consolidation

The process by which memories are stabilized in long-term memory.

Massed practice

Studying material in one long session (cramming).

Distributed practice

Studying material over multiple shorter sessions.

Serial position effect

Tendency to remember the first and last items in a list best.

Primacy effect

Better recall of items at the beginning of a list.

Recency effect

Better recall of items at the end of a list.

Sensory memory

Brief memory of sensory information lasting seconds or less.

Short-term memory

Memory that holds a small amount of information briefly.

Working memory

Active processing and manipulation of information in short-term memory.

Long-term memory

Relatively permanent and limitless storage of information.

Maintenance rehearsal

Repeating information to keep it in short-term memory.

Elaborative rehearsal

Linking new information to existing knowledge to store it long-term.

Memory retention

The ability to keep information over time.

Autobiographical memory

Memory of personal life events.

Retrograde amnesia

Loss of memories from before an injury or trauma.

Anterograde amnesia

Inability to form new memories after an injury.

Alzheimer's disease

A progressive brain disorder that causes memory loss and cognitive decline.

Infantile amnesia

Inability to remember events from early childhood.