The Chirs List

Primacy effect

The tendency to remember the first items in a list or sequence better than later ones.

Recency effect

The tendency to remember the most recent items in a list or sequence more effectively than those presented earlier.

Working memory model

A framework that explains how we temporarily store and manipulate information, consisting of the central executive, phonological loop, visuospatial sketchpad, and episodic buffer.

Working memory capacity

The limited amount of information that can be held in working memory at any given time, typically estimated to be between 5 to 9 items.

Chunking

A strategy used to enhance memory capacity by grouping individual pieces of information into larger, more manageable units.

Levels of processing

Theory suggesting that the depth of processing affects how well information is remembered, with deeper processing leading to better retention.

Infantile amnesia

The inability of adults to retrieve memories from early childhood, typically before the age of 3 or 4.

Autobiographical recall

A memory system consisting of episodes recollected from an individual's life.

Nostalgia bump

Increased recollection for events that occurred during adolescence and early adulthood.

Context-dependent memory

Improved recall when the context during encoding is the same as the context during retrieval.

State-dependent memory

Improved recall when the state during encoding is the same as the state during retrieval.

Flashbulb memories

Memories about emotionally charged events, believed to be more accurate.

Neurobiology of memory

Memories are formed by changes in neuron collections and connections between them.

Four stages of memory

1. Encoding 2. Storage 3. Recognition 4. Recall

Patient HM

A patient who could not form new memories and had retrograde amnesia but could use implicit memory.

Memory illusions

Cases where a rememberer's report of a past event deviates from the event's actual occurrence.

DRM paradigm

A procedure used to study false memory in humans through a list of related words leading to recall of a related absent word.

Semantic memory

Encompasses knowledge of objects, facts, and words.

Semantic dementia

An acute loss of memory for common words and their meanings.

Prototype Theory

A theory suggesting concepts are represented by a central tendency or typical example of a category.

Levels of categorization

Subordinate, Basic, Superordinate.

Superordinate level of categorization

Very general categories, e.g., Animals.

Basic level of categorization

Balance between general and specific categories, e.g., Dogs.

Subordinate level of categorization

Very specific categories, e.g., German Shepard.

Exemplar Theory

Individuals store specific examples and categorize based on similarity to these examples.

Fear generalization

Broad conditioning makes generalized fear easier, typical stimuli are more easily generalized.

Sensory memory

A brief collection of information from your senses with a large capacity lasting less than a second.

Iconic memory

Visual memory that recalls information with high accuracy after a brief exposure.

Echonic memory

Auditory memory that can store around 2–4 seconds of sound.

Whole report

Report as much stimulus as you can after flashing a list.

Partial report

Report a row of letters without prior indication which will be tested, showing more items are stored.

Working memory

The ability to hold information in current focus while completing cognitive tasks.

Episodic memory

The memory of everyday events that can be explicitly stated or conjured.

Process-dissociation procedure

Method for separating conscious and non-conscious uses of memory.

Depth of processing

More processing of information increases recall likelihood.

Implicit memory

A type of long-term memory that is not consciously recalled.

Explicit memory

A type of long-term memory that is consciously and effortfully recalled.

Reconstructive memory

Idea that remembering the past reflects attempts to reconstruct previous events.

Memory errors

False memories and flashbulb memories.

False memories

Recalling something that did not happen or differently from the way it occurred.

Coding specificity principle

Memory retrieval is improved when the encoding circumstances match the retrieval circumstances.

Early selection

The locus of selection is at early stages of processing, with unattended stimuli not fully processed.

Late selection

All information is processed based on meaning, not just selected information.

Colour perception

Perception of color based on different wavelengths sensitive to cones in the retina.

Neuroimaging

Use of techniques to image the structure and function of the brain.

Structural neuroimaging

Generates a detailed portrait of the brain's shapes, sizes, and positions.

Functional neuroimaging

Generates information about activity levels throughout the brain.

Contrast sensitivity testing

Ability to perceive sharp outlines of small objects and identify shading differences.

Ventral Stream

Pathway in the brain associated with shape and object recognition.

Dorsal streams

Associated with spatial processing, attention, and online actions.

Ebbinghaus illusion

Illusion affecting size perception, relevant to perception-action pathways.

Stroop effect

Words and colors mismatching illustrate that automatic reading interferes with color processing.

Cognitive control

Processes supporting goal-directed behavior by regulating thoughts and actions.

Feature search

Identifying a pop-out target defined by a single feature.

Conductive search

Identifying a target defined by a combination of two features.

Inattentional Blindness

Failure to perceive an unexpected stimulus in plain sight due to lack of attention.