2.3(intro to memory)

information processing model

how we take in, store, and retrieve information

encoding

Getting information into the brain

storage

Maintaining that information over time

retrieval

Getting the information back when you need it

automatic processing

happens without conscious effort

effortful processing

requires focused attention and conscious effort to encode information

explicit memory

conscious memory—you actively try to remember facts, events, or information

implicit memory

unconscious memory—skills and learned habits that you do automatically without thinking

episodic memory

memory for personal experiences and specific events, including the time and place they happened

semantic memory

memory for facts, concepts, and general knowledge about the world, without needing to remember when or where you learned them

levels of processing

theory about how deeply we encode information affects how well we remember it.

shallow processing

Focusing on superficial features like the appearance or sound of a word

usually leads to weak, short-term memory.

intermediate processing

Acoustic features (how words sound)

deep processing

Semantic meaning ( what the word means)

eads to stronger, longer-lasting memory.

structural encoding

type of shallow processing where you focus on the physical appearance or structure of a word or stimulus—like what it looks like, not what it means

phonemic encoding

type of intermediate-level processing where you focus on how something sounds rather than what it looks like or means

semantic encoding

type of deep processing where you focus on the meaning of information—what a word or idea actually represents

multi-store model

explains how memory is processed in three separate stores:

sensory memory

Briefly holds incoming sensory information (from your eyes, ears, etc.)

short-term memory

Holds a small amount of info you're actively thinking about

long-term memory

Stores information for long periods

working memory

modern update to the idea of short-term memory — it's not just a place to hold info temporarily, but a system that actively manipulates and processes it while you think.

central executive

the boss; directs attention and manages the other parts

phonological loop

deals with verbal and auditory info (like repeating a phone number in your head)

visuospatial sketchpad

holds visual and spatial info (like imagining a map or what something looks like)

episodic buffer

links information across systems and connects working memory to long-term memory

prospective memory

type of memory that helps you remember to do something in the future — like a mental to-do list.