Ap Psych Unit 5 Part 1A

Sensory memory

Sensory memory

immediate, very brief recording of information from the 5 senses

Iconic memory

momentary sensory memory of visual stimuli; picture-image memory lasting no more than a few tenths of a second

Echoic memory

momentary sensory memory of auditory stimuli; if attention is elsewhere, sounds/words can still be recalled within 3 or 4 seconds

Short-term memory (STM)

activated memory that holds a few items briefly (approx 7 items up to 20 seconds) before the information is stored or forgotten

Long-term memory (LTM)

relatively permanent and limitless storehouse of memory system; includes knowledge, skills, and experiences

Recall

memory test that requires reproduction of information without any cues

Recognition

memory test that requires selection of previously learned information from a variety of options

Relearning

learning something more quickly when you learn it a second or later time

Encoding

converting information into a form in which it will be retained in long-term memory

Divided attention

occurs when mental focus is on multiple tasks at the same time

Structural encoding

processing information into memory based on what a word looks like

Phonemic Encoding

processing information into memory based on what a word sounds like

Semantic Encoding

processing information into memory based on what a word means

Automatic Processing

unconscious encoding of incidental information (i.e. meanings of common words, seeing someone during the day, etc.)

Effortful Processing

encoding that requires attention and conscious work

Rehearsal

process of repetitively verbalizing or thinking about information to be stored in memory

Serial Position Effect

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

Primacy Effect

tendency to recall best the first items in a list

Recency effect

tendency to recall best the last items in a list

Spacing effect

tendency for distributed study/practice to yield better long-term retention than is achieved through "cramming"

Mnemonics

memory aids, especially those that use vivid imagery and organization

Method of loci

mnemonic device that involves taking an imaginary walk along a familiar path where images of items to be remembered are associated with certain locations

Self-referent encoding

linking information in a way that is personally meaningful when storing into memory

Chunking

organizing items into familiar, manageable units

Parallel Processing

the brain's processing of many aspects of a problem simultaneously

Explicit (declarative) memory

memory of facts/experiences that one can consciously know and remember (aka Declarative memory)

Episodic memory

subdivision of explicit memory that involves the recollection of specific events, situations, and experiences

Flashbulb Memory

a clear memory of an emotionally significant moment/event

Semantic memory

subdivision of explicit memory that stores general knowledge, including meanings of words and concepts

Prospective Memory

remembering to do something at some future time

Implicit (non-declarative) memory

memories we may not recall consciously, but can still be demonstrated indirectly (i.e. procedures, conditioned responses, etc.)

Procedural memory

subdivision of implicit memory that involves how to perform different actions/skills

Retrieval cues

stimuli that help with the remembering of information

Priming

activation, often unconsciously, of certain associations, thus predisposing one's perception, memory, or response

Context dependent memory

putting oneself back in the environment in which information was learned increases ability to retrieve information from memory

State-dependent memory

retrieval of information is most efficient when in same level of consciousness as when information was encoded

Mood-congruent memory

tendency to recall experiences that are consistent with one's current emotion (good or bad)

Reconstructive memory

recollections of events are altered based on perceptions, values, prior expectations, knowledge, etc.

Misinformation effect

incorporating misleading information into one's memory of an event

Source amnesia

occurs when the attribution of a memory is incorrectly attributed

Retention

proportion of material remembered

Encoding failure

ineffectively incorporating information so that it cannot be retrieved later

Storage decay

type of forgetting in which memories fade over time

Ebbinghaus' Forgetting Curve

ability of the brain to retain information decreases over time when nothing is done to maintain it

Tip-of-the-tongue phenomenon

temporary inability to remember something accompanied by a feeling that it's just out of reach

Retroactive interference

learning of new information inhibits the recall of old information

Proactive interference

prior learning inhibits the recall of new information

Retrograde amnesia

loss of memories for events that occured prior to a head injury

Anterograde amnesia

loss of memory for events that occur after a head injury

George A. Miller

studied limits on storage capacity for memory; "magical number 7"

Elizabeth Loftus

scientist who studies the fallibility of memory due to a variety of errors; her research has influenced the use of eye-witness testimony

Hermann Ebbinghaus

first to research memory; known for discovery of forgetting curve and spacing effect