Chapter 7: Memory

Memory

the nervous system’s capacity to retain and retrieve skills and knowledge

Encoding

the processing of information so that it can be stored

Storage

the retention of encoded representations over time

Consolidation

the neural process by which encoded information becomes stored in memory

Retrieval

the act of recalling or remembering stored information when it is needed

Reconsolidation

neural processes involved when memories are recalled and then stored again for retrieval

Long-term potentiation (LTP)

strengthening of a synaptic connection, making the postsynaptic neurons more easily activated by presynaptic neurons

Hippocampus

spatial memory

(huge for long term memory storage and retrieval)

prefrontal cortex

working memory

temporal lobes

declarative memory

Cerebellum

motor memory

Amygdala

fear learning/memory

Sensory memory

a memory system that very briefly stores sensory information in close to its original sensory form

iconic memory

Visual sensory memory

Echoic memory

Auditory sensory memory

Working memory

an active processing system that keeps different types of information available for current use

Short-term memory

(sub of working memory)

a memory storage system that briefly holds a limited amount of information in awareness, but this system does not manipulate information

Rehearsal

Rehearsal is the process where information is kept in short-term memory by mentally repeating it

Chunking

organizing information into meaningful units to make it easier to remember

Mnemonics

act as cognitive tools in working memory by helping to bypass its strict capacity limits through chunking and association

Long-term memory

the relatively permanent storage of information

Serial position effect

the idea that the ability to recall items from a list depends on the order of presentation, with items presented early or late in the list remembered better than those in the middle

Primacy effect

better memory for items at the beginning of the list (reflects long-term memory)

Regency effect

better memory for the items at the end of a list (reflects working memory)

Explicit Memory

Conscious Effort to remember

Episodic memory

memory for one’s personal past experiences

Semantic memory

memory for knowledge of facts independent of personal experience

Maintenance rehearsal

repeating the item over and over

Elaborative rehearsal

encoding the information in more meaningful ways

Spreading activation models

stimuli in working memory activate specific nodes in long-term memory, making retrieval easier

Implicit memory

memories that exist without our awareness of them and that do not require conscious attention

Procedural (motor) memory

a type of implicit memory that involves motor skills, habits, and other behaviors

Schemas

cognitive structures in long-term memory that help us perceive, organize, process, and use information

Retrieval cue

anything that helps a person (or a nonhuman animal) recall a memory

Encoding specificity principle

the idea that any stimulus that is encoded along with an experience can later trigger a memory of the experience

Context-dependent memory

when the recall situation is similar to the encoding situation

State-dependent memory

• when a person’s internal states match during encoding and recall