Psychology: Memory, Schemas, and False Memories

Vocabulary flashcards covering the core concepts, memory stages, experiments, and terminology of reconstructive memory and false memories.

Reconstructive memory

When your brain rebuilds memories instead of remembering everything exactly.

Encoding

Taking in new information and preparing it for memory.

Storage

Keeping information in your brain for later.

Retrieval

Bringing stored information back into your mind.

Apple memory experiment

An experiment where people remembered buying apples even though apples were not mentioned, showing that brains can add details based on what we expect.

Assumptions

Things we believe happened without actually knowing, which can make us remember details that never happened.

Expectations

Things we think will happen based on past experiences, which may cause our brain to add information that seems normal or familiar.

Gist memory

Remembering the main idea instead of every small detail.

Schema

A mental framework that helps organize information and understand situations faster, but can cause false memories by adding expected details.

Script

A mental guide for how familiar events usually happen, such as ordering food, eating, and paying at a restaurant.

Semantic network

A group of related words and ideas connected in your brain.

Spreading activation

When thinking of one idea activates other related ideas.

Sleep word experiment

An experiment where participants falsely remembered hearing the word 'sleep' because related words like bed, tired, and dream activated it.

False memory

Remembering something that didn't happen or happened differently.