Forgetting

The Forgetting Curve

A graphical representation of the rate at which memory fades over time.

Memory Loss

Occurs fastest soon after learning, as the brain deems some information non-essential.

Encoding Failure

Occurs when information does not enter long-term memory due to inadequate processing at the time of encoding.

Proactive Interference

When older memories inhibit the ability to learn and remember new information.

Retroactive Interference

When new learning impairs the recall of previously encoded information.

Tip of the Tongue Phenomenon

A common memory experience where an individual cannot immediately recall a word or name despite feeling confident they know it.

Source Amnesia

The inability to remember when, where, or how previously learned information was acquired.

Anterograde Amnesia

A memory disorder characterized by an inability to form new memories following the onset of amnesia.

Retrograde Amnesia

A memory disorder involving the loss of memories formed before the onset of amnesia.

Infantile Amnesia

The phenomenon where people cannot recall personal memories from the early years of life, typically before age 3-4.

Alzheimer’s Disease

A progressive neurological disorder leading to memory loss, cognitive decline, and behavioral changes.

Repression

The unconscious blocking of distressing thoughts and memories from entering conscious awareness.

Constructive Memory

The process by which memories are actively constructed and not merely retrieved.

Memory Consolidation

The integration of new memories with existing memories influenced by prior knowledge and beliefs.

Imagination Inflation

The phenomenon where imagining an event that never occurred increases confidence that it did occur.

Misinformation Effect

When new, incorrect information influences how we remember past events, distorting original memories.

Improving Memory

Strategies such as repeated study, meaningful engagement with material, and using mnemonics to enhance recall.