Memory - Simple Psych

Test your memory skills with these memory and cognitive psych flash cards.

Define memory

An active system that is working on a regular basis that receives information from the senses, organizes and alters that information as it stores it away, and then retrieves the information from storage.

What is the “Information Processing Model”?

A cognitive system that views the brain as a computer, explaining how people process memories.

Name and describe all of the parts of the information processing model

• ATTENTION - The brain selecting which information to internalize, filtering out useless info.

• ENCODING - The process of converting the information into a digestable format – similar to typing on a computer

• STORAGE - Holding onto the information for a period of time – pressing save on a computer

• RETRIVAL - Accessing this stored information and applying it when needed – similar to opening a file

• REHEARSAL - Practicing the utilization of information to become gradually automatic – similar to programming a computer

What is sensory memory?

Any memory attached to a sense (smell, sight, hearing, taste, touch)

What is episodic memory?

The autobiographical recall of a specific personal event, associated with time, place, or. emotions

What is echoic memory?

A sensory memory, specifically auditory, that lasts only 2-4 seconds

What is iconic memory?

The eye-witness testemony of your brain, everything that can be seen at once, lasting milliseconds

Describe decay theory

The quality of a memory slowly decaying if it hasn’t been used or exercised.

Describe masking theory, related to iconic memory

Information being shoved into the iconic memory rapidly, and quickly being erased by newer stimulants

Describe state dependent learning

Putting yourself in the same mental position where something was learned, to help the retrival process of the IPM

What is selective attention?

The ability to focus on only one stimulus from among all sensory input

What is elaborative rehearsal?

a method of transferring information from STM to LTM by making that information meaningful

What is the primacy effect?

The ability to most effectively remember the first one or two things at the beginning of a list

Define short term memory

A temporary storage for surface information, most hard working memory

How many pieces of information can the STM hold onto at once?

±7, 5-9 things

How long approximately is the duration of the STM?

About 12-30 seconds

Define long term memory

An unlimited storage for the majority of life events, small, and large-scale

How many pieces of information can the LTM hold onto at once?

No specific number—the LTM is unlimited

How long approximately is the duration of the LTM?

Lasts anywhere from a couple days - an entire lifetime

What is chunking in regard of STM?

Breaking down larger pieces of information into smaller, more manageable pieces, to enhance the encoding process

How does sleep affect the LTM?

The better your sleep schedule, the easier it is to store information into the LTM

What is the loci technique and how does it work with short term memory?

Visualizing a familiar place to help remember a certain event or item, helps the retrieval process

Where is the LTM located in the brain?

In multiple places in the cerebral cortex—the hippocampus, amygdala, and the ganglia

Define object permanence

The ability to comprehend the existence of objects even after they leave your field of vision

What is central executive function in STM?

• The “manager” of the STM system

  • Manages the average attention span

  • Regulates the flow of information being stored into the STM

What is phonological loop in STM?

• Responsible for holding onto information, in order to retain it

  • Typically with auditory information

What is visuospatial function in STM?

• The ability for the STM to hang onto visual stimulants and create “mental images”

  • Includes colors, shapes, and the location of certain objects

Describe declarative (explicit) memory

• Consciously recalled facts, information, and personal events

  • Involves episodic and semantic memory

Describe non-declarative (implicit) memory

• Unconscious memories such as skills and habitual living, that are not regularly recalled

  • Involves procedural, associative, and non-associative memory