AP Psych - Unit 2 Vocab - Part #2: Topics 2.3 to 2.7

Storage

The process of retaining encoded information over time

Retrieval

The process of accessing and bringing into consciousness information stored in memory when its needed

Explicit Memory

Conscious recollection of factual information or personal experiences

Episodic Memory

A type of long-term memory that involves recollection of specific events, situations, and experiences in your life

Semantic Memory

Our general knowledge about the world, including facts, concepts, and ideas that are not linked to specific personal experiences

Implicit Memory

The unconscious retention and retrieval of information without conscious awareness

Procedural Memory

A part of the long-term memory responsible for knowing how to do things, also known as motor skills

Prospective Memory

Remembering to perform intended actions in the future or remembering events that will occur in the future

Long-Term Potentiation

A persistent strengthening of synapses based on recent patterns of activity

Working Memory Model

A theoretical framework that explains how the working memory system functions. It consists of three components: the phonological loop, the visuospatial sketchpad, and the central executive

Primary Memory System

The small, temporary storehouse of information currently in conscious awareness

Working Memory

A cognitive system with limited capacity that can hold information temporarily while processing or manipulating it simultaneously

Central Executive

A key component of working memory that oversees and coordinates cognitive processes, allowing for the manipulation of information and the management of attention. It acts as a control system that directs the flow of information between different subsystems while also managing tasks like decision-making and problem-solving

Phonological Loop

A component of working memory that deals with verbal and auditory information

Visuospatial Sketchpad

A component of working memory that temporarily holds and manipulates visual and spatial information

Long-Term Memory

The storage of information over extended periods of time

Multi-Store Memory Model

A theory that suggests our memories are processed through three distinct storage systems: sensory memory, short-term/working memory, and long-term memory

Sensory Memory

The initial, brief storage of sensory information that occurs immediately after a stimulus is presented

Iconic Memory

Refers to visual sensory memory, which holds visual information for about one second before it disappears or gets replaced by new information

Echoic Memory

A type of sensory memory that stores auditory information for a short period, typically 3-4 seconds

Automatic Processing

The unconscious encoding of incidental information such as space, time, and frequency, and of well-learned information

Effortful Processing

Learning or storing (encoding) that requires attention and conscious effort

Encoding

The process of transforming information into a form that can b stored and retrieved by the brain

Levels of Processing Model

Suggests that the depth of processing applied to information during encoding determines its likelihood of being stored in long-term memory. It emphasizes that deeper, more meaningful processing leads to better memory retention

Shallow Encoding (with reference to Levels of Processing Model)

Refers to the process of encoding information in a superficial or surface-level manner, resulting in weaker storage and retrieval from long-term memory

Deep Encoding (with reference to Levels of Processing Model)

Involves close attention, focusing on an item’s meaning and relating it to something else. It leads to better recall than shallow encoding

Structural Encoding (with reference to Levels of Processing Model)

A type of shallow processing that involves focusing on the physical, structural, or appearance-based characteristics of a stimulus rather than its meaning

Phonemic Encoding (with reference to Levels of Processing Model)

The process of encoding information based on its sound or pronunciation

Semantic Encoding (with reference to Levels of Processing Model)

Processing an experience or fact based on its meaning rather than its details

Mnemonic Devices

A technique used to enhance memory and recall. It often involves creating associations between hard-to-remember information and easy-to-remember information

Method of Loci

A mnemonic technique used to improve memory and recall by associating information to be remembered with specific locations or ‘mental spaces’

Chunking

A strategy used in cognitive psychology to improve memory where large amounts of information are broken down into smaller, manageable groups or ‘chunks’