Chapter 7: Memory and Learning Flashcards

A set of vocabulary flashcards covering basic memory concepts, learning theories, developmental changes in memory across the life span, and cognitive strategies.

Retrograde Amnesia

Loss of memory for information and events occurring prior to the incident that caused the amnesia.

Memory

Our ability to store and later retrieve information about past events.

Learning

The acquisition of knowledge and skills from experience.

Information-Processing Approach

An approach that emphasizes the basic mental processes involved in attention, perception, memory, and decision making.

Encoding

The process of getting information into the memory system.

Consolidation

The process by which information is processed and organized in a form suitable for long-term storage.

Storage

Refers to holding information in a long-term memory store.

Retrieval

The process of getting information out of memory when it is needed.

Recognition Memory

A type of memory retrieval that involves identifying an item among provided options.

Recall Memory

A type of memory retrieval that requires active retrieval without the aid of cues.

Cued Recall Memory

A type of memory retrieval where a hint or cue is provided to facilitate retrieval.

Working Memory System

A mental "scratch pad" that temporarily stores information while actively operating on it, overseen by a central executive.

Central Executive

The component of working memory described as the "supervisor" that directs attention and controls the flow of information.

Implicit Memory

Memory that occurs unintentionally, automatically, and without awareness, also known as procedural memory.

Explicit Memory

Memory that involves deliberate, effortful recollection of events, also known as declarative memory.

Long-Term Memory Classification

The organizational structure dividing long-term memory into explicit (episodic, semantic) and implicit (skills, priming, conditioning) forms.

Semantic Memory

Memory for general facts and knowledge.

Episodic Memory

Memory for specific experiences or events.

Anterograde Amnesia

An inability to form new memories following an incident.

Neural Structures of Memory

Brain structures involved in memory systems, including the hippocampus, cerebrum, basal ganglia, amygdala, and cerebellum.

Classical Conditioning

The simplest form of learning, where a stimulus that initially had no effect comes to elicit a response through its association with a stimulus that already elicits the response.

Operant Conditioning

A form of learning where a learner's behavior becomes either more or less probable depending on the consequences it produces.

Positive Reinforcement

Strengthening a response by adding something pleasant or desirable following the behavior.

Negative Reinforcement

Strengthening a response by removing something unpleasant or undesirable following the behavior.

Positive Punishment

Weakening a behavior by applying or adding an unpleasant stimulus following the behavior.

Negative Punishment

Weakening a behavior by removing a desirable stimulus following the behavior.

Social Cognitive Theory

Theory stating that humans are cognitive beings whose active processing of information plays a critical role in their learning, behavior, and development.

Observational Learning

Learning by observing the behavior of other people, who are referred to as models.

Deferred Imitation

The ability to imitate a novel act after a delay, representing an early form of explicit or declarative memory.

Habituation

The process of learning not to respond to a repeated stimulus.

Autobiographical Memories

The recall of episodic events from one's earlier life.

Childhood Amnesia

The phenomenon of retaining very few autobiographical memories of events that occurred during the first few years of life; also called infantile amnesia.

Perseveration Errors

Continuing to use the same strategy that was successful in the past despite the strategy's current lack of success.

Rehearsal

A memory strategy involving the repeating of items that one is trying to learn and remember.

Organization

A memory strategy that involves classifying items into meaningful groups.

Elaboration

A memory strategy that involves actively creating meaningful links between items to be remembered.

Metamemory

Knowledge of memory and the process of memory.

Metacognition

Knowledge of the human mind and of the range of cognitive processes.

Knowledge Base

Knowledge of a content area to be learned, which affects learning and memory performance.

Scripts

General event representations detailing a typical sequence of actions related to an event, which guide future behaviors in similar settings.

Adaptive Strategy Choice Model

A model proposing that children have multiple strategies in their "tool box" and select a strategy based on the task, their motivation, and comfort level.

Constraint-Seeking Questions

Questions used in problem solving that rule out more than one item at a time.

Selective Optimization with Compensation (SOC)

A model explaining how older adults cope with and compensate for diminishing cognitive resources through selection, optimization, and compensation.