Memory Notes

External Events Processing

External events are first processed by sensory memory, then some information is encoded into short-term memory, and some of that is further encoded into long-term memory.

Sensory Memory

A temporary holding tank for sensory info. Visual info lasts less than 1 second; auditory info lasts 3–4 seconds. Most is lost, a small portion enters short-term memory.

Visual Codes

Information encoded as a visual image.

Acoustic Codes

Information encoded as a series of sounds.

Semantic Codes

Information encoded based on meaning.

Selective Attention

Determines which sensory messages are encoded. We encode what we attend to or deem important.

Cocktail Party Effect

The tendency to attend to meaningful stimuli (like your name) even when focused elsewhere.

Inattentional Blindness

Failure to notice a visible object because attention is focused elsewhere.

Change Blindness

Failure to notice a change in a visual scene when attention is elsewhere.

Working Memory

Active processing of short-term memory info; manipulation of items in short-term memory.

Central Executive

Monitors and directs processing; decides which memory system (visual/auditory) to engage.

Visuospatial Sketchpad

Handles visual and spatial info—“the mind’s eye.”

Phonological Loop

Handles verbal and auditory information like words and numbers.

Maintenance Rehearsal

Repetition to temporarily retain info.

Elaborative Rehearsal

Effortful processing focused on meaning and deeper understanding for long-term storage.

Long-Term Memory

Permanent memory storage with unlimited capacity.

Episodic Memory

Memory of specific events (e.g., first date).

Semantic Memory

General world knowledge stored as facts and concepts (e.g., definitions).

Procedural Memory

Memory of how to perform skills (e.g., riding a bike).

Explicit Memory

Conscious, intentional memory (e.g., study facts).

Implicit Memory

Unconscious memory formed without intent (e.g., skills learned by observation).

Prospective Memory

Remembering to perform tasks in the future (e.g., take meds).

Eidetic Memory

Extremely vivid and detailed memory, sometimes called photographic memory.

Encoding

The process of getting information into memory.

Primacy Effect

Better recall for the first items in a list.

Recency Effect

Better recall for the last items in a list.

Serial Position Effect

The tendency to forget middle items in a list due to primacy and recency effects.

Method of Loci

A mnemonic strategy using spatial memory to aid recall.

Spacing Effect

Distributed studying improves long-term retention more than cramming.

Chunking

Breaking info into groups to aid memory (e.g., phone numbers).

Mnemonic Devices

Memory aids like acronyms or rhymes that help organize and recall information.

Long-Term Potentiation

The process by which repeated neuron firing strengthens synaptic connections.

Hippocampus

Brain structure vital for encoding new long-term memories.

Anterograde Amnesia

Inability to form new memories after brain damage.

Retrograde Amnesia

Inability to recall memories from before brain damage.

Retrieval

The process of accessing stored memories.

Recognition

Identifying previously learned information (e.g., multiple choice).

Recall

Retrieving info with an external cue (e.g., fill-in-the-blank).

Retrieval Cues

Stimuli that help trigger the recall of a memory.