How Memory Works: Vocabulary & Concepts

Vocabulary flashcards defining core memory systems, encoding techniques, and study strategies.

Sensory memory

The memory system that briefly registers incoming information from the environment for milliseconds to seconds.

Working memory

The limited mental workspace used to process information in the moment.

Long-term memory

The system that stores knowledge, experiences, and skills over extended periods.

Encoding

Transforming information into a form that can be stored in memory.

Retrieval

Bringing stored information back into awareness.

Active recall

Trying to produce an answer from memory before looking at the source.

Spaced repetition

Reviewing material across increasing intervals of time.

Interleaving

Mixing related topics or problem types during practice.

Chunking

Grouping separate pieces of information into meaningful units.

Elaboration

Adding meaning by explaining, connecting, or generating examples.

Dual coding

Combining verbal information with meaningful visuals.

Forgetting curve

The concept describing the decline in memory accessibility over time when information is not revisited.

Retrieval practice effect

The strengthening of memory that occurs when learners practice retrieving information rather than only rereading it.

Recognition

The process that occurs when a correct answer feels familiar after it is shown.

Recall

The process of producing an answer without seeing it first.

Cramming

Concentrating study sessions into one long session, which improves very short-term familiarity but makes long-term retrieval harder.

Productive difficulty

Learning challenges that reveal weak knowledge and make later retrieval more reliable.