8.4 chapter summary

psychological scientists conceptualize memory in terms of types, stages, and processes

explicit memory

semantic and episodic

• assessed: using measures in which the individual must consciously try to recall information

• tests: recall, recognition memory, relearning (savings)

implicit memory

procedural, priming, and classical conditioning

• the influence of experience on behavior, even if unaware

• characteristic: frequently formed and used automatically, without much effort

sensory memory

iconic and echoic

• memory buffer that lasts very briefly, and if not further processed, is forgotten

short term memory

stores information we give attention to

• limited in both length and amount of information it can hold

working memory

set of memory procedures or operations

• used to keep information in stm, like maintenance rehearsal, visualization, and chunking

long term memory

memory storage that holds information for days, months, and years

strategies for improving ltm

• elaborative encoding

• relating information to self

• making use of forgetting curve

• spacing effect

• overlearning

• being aware of context and state-dependent retrieval effects

memories

stored in ltm

• linked together into categories and schemas

schemas

help encode and retrieve information by providing an organizational structure

long-term potentiation

ability to maintain information in ltm involving gradual strengthening of the connections among neurons in brain

• i.e.:

  • hippocampus - explicit memory

  • cerebellum - implicit memory

  • amygdala - emotional memory

neurotransmitters

consolidation and memory

cognitive biases

errors in memory or judgement

• cause: overuse of schemas and rule of thumb strategies, heuristics

biases

• source monitoring

• confirmation bias

• functional fixedness

• misinformation effect

• overconfidence

• counterfactual thinking