Memory, Attention, Sleep & Psychoactive Drugs – Lecture Vocabulary

Memory

Retention of information or experience over time through encoding, storage, and retrieval.

Encoding

Process of getting information into memory.

Storage

Process of retaining information over time.

Retrieval

Process of taking information out of storage.

Selective Attention

Focusing on one aspect of experience while ignoring others.

Shallow Processing

Analysis of physical or perceptual features of a stimulus.

Intermediate Processing

Recognition and labeling of a stimulus.

Deep Processing

Processing based on semantic, meaningful, or symbolic characteristics.

Long-Term Memory (LTM)

Relatively permanent storehouse holding huge amounts of information for long periods.

Explicit Memory

Conscious recollection of facts and events.

Implicit Memory

Memory that influences behavior without conscious recollection.

Anterograde Amnesia

Inability to form new memories after onset of a disorder or injury.

Bahrick’s Spanish Vocabulary Study

Found LTM plateau after ~3 years, with vocabulary retained up to 50 years later.

Episodic Memory

Memory for the where, when, and what of life’s events.

Semantic Memory

Knowledge about the world, concepts, and facts.

Procedural Memory

Implicit memory for skills and habits (e.g., riding a bike).

Classical Conditioning (as memory)

Implicit memory expressed through learned associations between stimuli.

Priming

Activation of information already in storage to help remember new information.

Parallel Distributed Processing (PDP) / Connectionism

Theory that memories are stored in neural networks distributed across the brain.

Lashley’s Cortical Lesion Experiments

Showed memory is not localized; rats still navigated mazes after varied cortical damage.

Kandel’s Sea Slug Experiment

Demonstrated chemical changes at synapses (neurotransmitter release) during learning.

Downers (Depressants)

Drugs like alcohol, marijuana, cocaine, Xanax that slow CNS activity. (in notes though cocaine is a stimulant).

Uppers (Stimulants)

Substances like Adderall, caffeine, some anxiety meds that increase CNS activity.

Blackout

Period of amnesia in which a person cannot recall events, often alcohol-related.

Consciousness

Awareness of internal and external stimuli.

Unconscious Mind

Mental processes operating below awareness that influence decisions.

Psychoactive Drug

Chemical substance that alters brain function, mood, or consciousness.

Subliminal Perception

Detection of information below conscious awareness.

Multitasking While Driving

Behavior linked to thousands of deaths and injuries due to attentional limits.

Restorative Theory of Sleep

Sleep replenishes, rebuilds, and repairs the body and brain.

Sleep and Brain Plasticity

Sleep strengthens synaptic connections, supporting learning and memory.

Sleep Deprivation Effects

Impaired attention, cognitive weakening, and reduced brain activity.

Non-REM Sleep (NREM)

Sleep stages with slowed brain activity and low-frequency waves.

Stage N2 Sleep

Deep NREM stage marked by sleep spindles; lasts ~20 minutes.

Reticular Formation

Brainstem structure regulating sleep–wake cycle and arousal.

Synaptic Homeostasis

Strengthening of neural connections during sleep for cognitive maintenance.

Sleep and Immune Function

Neurons governing sleep interact with immune neurons to influence disease resistance.

Nightmare

Frightening REM dream that often awakens the sleeper.

Night Terror

Sudden arousal from NREM sleep with intense fear and no detailed dream recall.

Narcolepsy

Disorder causing sudden, overpowering urges to sleep.

Sleep Apnea

Breathing stops during sleep due to airway or respiratory failure.

Activation-Synthesis Theory

Dreams result from the cortex synthesizing random brainstem activity.

Cognitive Theory of Dreaming

Dreams reflect the same cognitive processes as waking thought.

Alcohol

Depressant that slows brain activity and impairs judgment.

Tranquilizer

Depressant drug that reduces anxiety and induces relaxation.

Opioid

Drug acting on endorphin receptors, depressing CNS activity and relieving pain.

Caffeine

Stimulant that can elevate mood, increase anxiety, and disrupt sleep.

Amphetamine

Stimulant that increases dopamine release, boosting energy and euphoria.

Cocaine

Powerful stimulant that produces a short euphoria by blocking dopamine reuptake.

Rapid Eye Movement (REM) Sleep

Sleep stage with vivid dreaming, brain activation, and muscle paralysis.

Recall

Retrieval task requiring production of learned information (e.g., essay).

Recognition

Memory task requiring identification of learned items (e.g., multiple choice).

Eyewitness Testimony Errors

Distortions, biases, and inaccuracies that can occur in memory-based legal accounts.

Retrograde Amnesia

Loss of memory for events that occurred before onset of injury or disorder.