Unit 2.2 Key Terms List-Psychology

Memory

The persistence of learning over time through the encoding, storage, & retrieval of information.

Recall

A measure of memory in which the person must retrieve information learned earlier.

Recognition

A measure of memory in which the person identifies items previously learned.

Relearning

A measure of memory that assesses the amount of time saved when learning material again.

Encoding

The process of getting information into the memory system by extracting meaning.

Storage

The process of retaining encoded information over time.

Retrieval

The process of getting information out of memory storage.

Parallel processing

Processing multiple aspects of a stimulus or problem simultaneously.

Sensory memory

The immediate, very brief recording of sensory information in the memory system.

Short-term memory

Briefly activated memory of a few items that is later stored or forgotten.

Long-term memory

The relatively permanent & limitless archive of the memory system; includes knowledge, skills, & experiences.

Working memory

A newer understanding of short-term memory; involves conscious, active processing of incoming and retrieved information.

Central executive

A memory component that coordinates the activities of the phonological loop and the visuospatial sketchpad.

Phonological loop

A memory component that briefly holds auditory information.

Visuospatial sketchpad

A memory component that briefly holds information about objects’ appearance & location in space.

Long-term potentiation (LTP)

An increase in a nerve cell’s firing potential after brief, rapid stimulation; a neural basis for learning & memory.

Explicit memory

Retention of facts & experiences that we can consciously know & declare.

Effortful processing

Encoding that requires attention & conscious effort.

Automatic processing

Unconscious encoding of incidental information.

Implicit memory

Retention of learned skills or classically conditioned associations independent of conscious recollection.

Iconic memory

A momentary sensory memory of visual stimuli; a photographic or picture-image.

Echoic memory

A momentary sensory memory of auditory stimuli.

Chunking

Organizing items into familiar, manageable units.

Mnemonics

Memory aids, especially techniques that use vivid imagery & organizational devices.

Spacing effect

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

Testing effect

Enhanced memory after retrieving, rather than simply rereading, information.

Shallow processing

Encoding on a basic level, based on the structure or appearance of words.

Deep processing

Encoding semantically, based on the meaning of words.

Semantic memory

Explicit memory of facts & general knowledge.

Episodic memory

Explicit memory of personally experienced events.

Hippocampus

A neural center located in the limbic system that processes explicit memories.

Memory consolidation

The neural storage of a long-term memory.

Prospective memory

The ability to remember to do something in the future.

Retrospective memory

The ability to retrieve memories from our past.

Priming

The activation of particular associations in memory.

Encoding specificity principle

The idea that cues & contexts specific to a memory will aid in recall.

Mood-congruent memory

The tendency to recall experiences consistent with one’s current mood.

Serial position effect

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

Interleaving

A retrieval practice strategy that involves mixing the study of different topics.

Anterograde amnesia

An inability to form new memories.

Retrograde amnesia

An inability to remember information from one’s past.

Proactive interference

The disruptive effect of older learning on the recall of new information.

Retroactive interference

The disruptive effect of newer learning on the recall of old information.

Repression

In psychoanalytic theory, the defense mechanism that banishes anxiety-arousing thoughts.

Reconsolidation

A process in which previously stored memories are potentially altered.

Misinformation effect

Occurs when a memory has been corrupted by misleading information.

Source amnesia

Faulty memory for how, when, or where information was learned.

Deja vu

The eerie sense that one has experienced something before.