Unit 2. Cognition - Pt 3.3: Retrieving & Forgetting Memory

Recall

Retrieving information without cues (e.g., essay questions).

Recognition

Identifying information using cues (e.g., multiple choice questions).

Context-dependent memory

Better recall when in the same place where the memory was made.

State-dependent memory

Better recall when in the same physical state as when the memory was encoded.

Mood-congruent memory

Easier recall when in the same emotional state as when the memory was encoded.

Testing effect

Taking tests improves memory more than restudying.

Metacognition

Awareness and understanding of one’s own learning and memory strategies.

Forgetting curve

Most forgetting happens soon after learning, then slows down over time.

Encoding failure

When information is never stored in memory.

Proactive interference

Old information blocks learning of new information.

Retroactive interference

New information interferes with recalling old information.

Tip-of-the-tongue phenomenon

When you can’t quite remember a word or idea but feel you almost can.

Repression

Unconscious forgetting of distressing memories (according to psychodynamic theory).

Misinformation effect

When misleading information changes your memory of an event.

Source amnesia

Forgetting where or how you got the memory.

Constructive memory

Memory that is influenced by imagination or guessing; may not be accurate.