AP Psychology Unit 3: Memory

Explicit Memory

The type of long-term memory that involves conscious recollection of facts and events. It can be further divided into semantic memory and episodic memory

Implicit Memory

A type of long-term memory that is not consciously recalled, including skills and conditioned responses. Implicit memory often influences thoughts and behaviors without awareness of its influence. Includes Procedural Memory

Episodic Memory

A type of explicit memory that allows one to recall information from specific events in one’s personal life

Semantic Memory

A type of explicit memory that allows someone to recall information about facts, concepts, and numbers. General knowledge

Procedural Memory

A type of implicit memory that allows someone to recall learned skills. Stores how to perform actions and tasks. ex. riding a bike. unconscious

Prospective Memory

Type of memory that allows you to remember future events that one was planning to perform. ex. scheduling an appointment.

A.K.A. “remembering to remember”

Long-term Potentiation (LPT)

An increase in neurons that results from repeated stimulation and is believed to be a mechanism underlying learning and memory.

Working Memory Model

Includes

i.) Central Executive Component

ii.) Phonological loop

iii.) Visuospatial sketchpad

Central Executive Component

The part of the working memory model responsible for controlling attention and coordinating information from the phonological loop and visuospatial sketchpad.

Phonological loop

A memory component that briefly holds auditory information

Visuospatial sketchpad

A memory component that briefly holds information about objects appearance and location in space

Multi-store Model

Includes

i.) Sensory Model

1. Iconic

2. Echoic

ii.) short-term memory

iii.) long-term memory

iv.) automatic vs effortful memory

Sensory Model

Iconic: visual stimuli; a photogenic memory lasting no more than a few tenths of a second

Echoic: auditory stimuli; if attention is elsewhere, sounds and words can be recalled within 3 or 4 seconds

short-term memory

briefly activated memory of a few items (ex. phone digits) that is later stored or forgotten

long-term memory

the relatively permanent, limitless archive of the memory system; includes knowledge, skills, and experience

autonomic vs effortful memory

automatic: unconscious encoding of incidental information, such as space, time, and frequency, and of familiar or well-learned information, such as sounds, smells, and word meanings

effortful: encoding that requires attention and conscious effort

Levels of Processing Model

i.) Shallow to deep encoding

1. structural

2. phonetic

3. semantic

Structural (visual) ( shallow)

physical characteristics of info, e.g. appearance/font

Phonemic (auditory) (intermediate)

focuses on the sound or pronunciation of the info, e.g. rhyming/listening to music

Semantic (meaning-based) (deep)

meaning and context of info, e.g., connecting it to existing knowledge or experiences

Mnemonic Devices

Memory aids