Chapter 7 - Introduction to Psychology

What is Memory?

The ability to store information so that it can be used at a later time

What are the Stages of Memory known as?

Information Processing Approach

What is the Information Processing Approach?

This is similar way to how computers process information, with few basic aspects if the system

What is the first stage of the Information Processing Approach?

Encoding

What is the second stage of the Information Processing Approach?

Storage

What is the third stage of the Information Processing Approach?

Retrieval

What is the fourth stage of the Information Processing Approach?

Forgetting

What is Encoding?

Putting information into memory — requires effort and attention to do successfully

What is Storage?

How a system maintains the encoded information — keeps the information in memory

What is Retrieval?

Getting the stored information back out of storage - there are several different techniques for “remembering” the stored information

What is Forgetting?

The inability to recall a particular piece of information accurately — this is a failure to retrieve the stored information

What is Sensory Memory (Sensory Store)?

Registers information that enters through one or more of the five senses. Holds a nearly literal image of the sensory stimulus for a very brief period of time

What is the duration of Sensory Memory?

<1 second (1/4 - ½ second)

What is the capacity of Sensory Memory?

Unlimited

What is Short-term Memory (STM) (Working Memory)?

STM has a very limited capacity and duration. Unless information is actively processed in STM, it can only remain there for 15 - 20 seconds. The active processing of the information is the encoding part. Our STM contains all of the information that we are using (or "working" with) at a particular time

What is the capacity of Short-term Memory?

Studied by Miller, who proposed his "Magical Number", which states that the capacity of STM is 7 +- 2 chunks of information

What is a Chunk?

any piece of information that is represented as a single, meaningful item

What is Long-term Memory (LTM) (Information Storehouse)?

The ability to store enormous amounts of information for a very long time. If informations is transferred to LTM successfully, it's there forever!

How do we actively process information in order to keep it in STM?

Rehearsal and Practice

What is Rehearsal?

the mental repetition of information in order to maintain it in memory or transfer it from short-term to long-term memory.

What are the two types of Rehearsal?

Maintenance Rehearsal and Elaborative Rehearsal

What is the preferred type of Rehearsal?

Elaborative Rehearsal

What is Maintenance Rehearsal?

The process of keeping info in STM by simply repeating it. (Rote Repetition)

What is Elaborative Rehearsal?

An organized means of rehearsal or the purpose of storing information by relating it to other known info. Already in memory

What is Practice?

the repeated performance or exercise of a behavior, skill, or task in order to improve proficiency or learning.

What are the two types of Practice?

Massed Practice and Distributed Practice

What is the preferred type of Practice?

Distributed Practice

What is Massed Practice?

Doing all of your studying at one time. ("Cramming")

What is Distributed Practice?

Spreading out the studying over several different time periods

What are the three types of LTM?

Implicit/Procedural Memory, Explicit/Declarative Memory, and Retrieval

What is Implicit/Procedural Memory?

The ability to remember how to perform an acquired skill

What is Explicit/Declarative Memory?

The ability to remember general information.

What are the two types of Explicit/Declarative Memory?

Episodic Memory and Semantic Memory

What is Episodic Memory?

The memory of particular events in your life. This info is date/time dependent -- very specific!

What is Semantic Memory?

The memory of general principles, information, & knowledge. You don't know when you learned the info or why you remember it, you just do!

What is Retrieval?

The process of getting the stored info back out of memory

What are the main two components of Retrieval?

Recall and Recognition

What is Recall?

A method of testing the persistence of a memory by asking someone to produce a certain item from memory.

What are the two types of Recall?

Free Recall and Cued Recall

What is Free Recall?

Remember a list of items in any order, without any cues provided

What is Cued Recall?

Remember a list of items after being given a hint (cue).

What is Recognition?

A method of testing the persistence of a memory by asking someone to choose the correct item from a group of items

What are Mnemonics?

memory aids or strategies used to help people encode, store, and retrieve information more easily.