Storing Memories

Short-term memory

activated memory that holds a few items briefly before the information is stored or forgotten

maintenance rehearsal vs. elaborative rehearsal

maintenance rehearsal is used to commit information to short-term memory, while elaborative rehearsal helps commit information to long-term memory

memory retention

the ability to retain and recall previously learned information, skills, or experiences over time

autobiographical memory

encompasses events and experiences from an individual’s own life

retrograde amnesia

an inability to retrieve information from one’s past

anterograde amnesia

the inability to form new memories

alzheimer’s disease

having low levels of acetylcholine

infantile amnesia

the inability to recall earliest memories