2.4: Encoding Memories

Visual Encoding

The process of encoding images and visual sensory information.

Acoustic Encoding

The process of encoding auditory information, particularly the sound of words.

Tactile Encoding

The encoding of how something feels, particularly texture.

Organizational Encoding

The process of categorizing and organizing information based on relationships among items.

Elaborative Encoding

The process of actively relating new information to knowledge already in memory.

Mnemonic Devices

Memory aids that use vivid imagery or organizational devices to improve recall.

Method of Loci

A mnemonic device involving visualizing items to be remembered in specific locations along a familiar path.

Chunking

Organizing items into familiar, manageable units to make them easier to remember.

The Spacing Effect

The tendency for distibuted study or practice to yield better long-term retention than massed practice.

The Testing Effect

Enhanced memory after actively retrieving information rather than simply rereading it.

Serial Position Effect

Our tendency to recall best the first and last items in a list.

Primacy Effect

The tendency to remember items at the beginning of a list better than those in the middle.

Recency Effect

The tendency to remember the last items in a list better than those in the middle.