Cognitive Psych midterm 2

long term memory

a nearly permanent storage for learned information and experiences - the ability to store and recall

encoding

the process of converting information into a form that can be stored in long-term memory.

semantic memory

a type of long-term memory that involves the storage and recall of facts, concepts, and knowledge about the world.

• ex: knowing the capital of France

Procedural memory

implicit knowledge of tasks that usually do not require conscious recall to perform them, related to motor skills and habits

• ex: riding a bike

Deep processing

• focus on the meaning

• remember it better

• creates connections that promote retrieval

elaboration and distinctiveness

• elaborate sentences lead to better understanding and memory

• forced to create connections and tink of information in more sophisticated ways

encoding specificity retrieval 

memory recall is better when the content during retrieval is similar to the context during encoding

• ex: study where they learned drunk, sober, and high and then performed under the same and different conditions 

recall vs recognition tasks

• recall: retrieving information from memory without external cues, generating information itself - blank slate

• recognition: recognize an event or piece of information as being familiar, already context.

emotion memory

most vivid autobiographical memories tend to be of emotional events

• recollection of events associated with strong feelings is often stronger and more vivid

pollyanna principle

the psychological tendency for people to remember pleasant events more accurately than unpleasant ones and focus on the positive aspects of life.

• positivity bias/effect: recall good memories more favorably and filter out negative ones, mind processes info like this as it is easier to recall positive events - emotion

retrieval definition

process that influences the ability to recall or recognize the previously encoded information - bringing information stored in memory into conscious awareness 

explicit memory definition

the conscious, intentional recall of facts and personal experiences - declarative

• ex: semantic (general knowledge and facts), episodic (personal events)

implicit memory

unconscious, long-term memory that influences behavior and performance without conscious awareness

• ex: procedural memory (perform routine tasks and motor skills automatically)

amnesia

loss of memories, all types of memory can be affected

retrograde amnesia

a person cannot recall past events, facts, or experiences

anterograde amnesia

inability to form new memories after the event that caused amnesia

novices and experts differ

novices have a less organized, more superficial knowledge base, rely heavily on step-by-step processes, and are more likely to get stuck on surface-level details

autobiographical memory

the collection of memories about your personal life experiences, encompassing specific events, facts about yourself, broader life periods

• forms your sense of identity 

source monitoring

a mechanism of your brain pinpointing the source of your memory 

• failure can result in creating a false origin of where you got information

reality monitoring

cognitive process by which individuals distinguish between memories of actual experiences and those derived from external sources/imagination

flashbulb memory

vivid detailed memory of a highly emotional or significant event, often associated with surprising or impactful news

• more accurate and longer lasting 

• study: 9/11 attack and the challenger explosion

eyewitness testimony

reliability of memory, vulnerable to errors and bias due to stress or misleading questions

constructive approach

people create their own reality and meaning through their experiences, rather than passively receiving information 

recovered memory/false memory

forgotten memories can be initially forgotten but later remembered through therapy or other epiphanic experiences.

• controversial: traumatic events are seldom forgotten, therapeutic interventions can cause false memories