Unit 7 cognition

Memory

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

Recall

A measure of memory in which the person must retrieve information learned earlier, as on a fill-in-the-blank test.

Recognition

A measure of memory in which the person identifies items previously learned, as on a multiple-choice test.

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 systems, for example, 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 and limitless archive of the memory system, which includes knowledge, skills, and experiences.

Working Memory

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

Central Executive

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

Phonological Loop

A memory component that briefly holds auditory information.

Visuospatial Sketchpad

A memory component that briefly holds information about objects' appearance and location in space.

Neurogenesis

The formation of new neurons.

Long-Term Potentiation (LTP)

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

Explicit Memory

Memory of facts and experiences that we can consciously know and 'declare.'

Effortful Processing

Encoding that requires attention and 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; photographic or picture-image memory lasting no more than a few tenths of a second.

Echoic Memory

A momentary sensory memory of auditory stimuli that can still be recalled within 3 or 4 seconds.

Chunking

Organizing items into familiar, manageable units.

Mnemonics

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

Spacing Effect

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

Testing Effect

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

Shallow Processing

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

Deep Processing

Encoding semantically, based on the meaning of the words; tends to yield the best retention.

Semantic Memory

Explicit memory of facts and general knowledge.

Episodic Memory

Explicit memory of personally experienced events.

Hippocampus

A neural center in the limbic system that helps process explicit memories for storage.

Memory Consolidation

The neural storage of a long-term memory.

Flashbulb Memory

A clear memory of an emotionally significant moment or event.

Priming

The activation of particular associations in memory.

Encoding Specificity Principle

The idea that cues specific to a particular memory will be most effective in helping us recall it.

Mood-Congruent Memory

The tendency to recall experiences that are consistent with one's current mood.

Serial Position Effect

The tendency to recall best the last items in a list initially, and the first items in a list after a delay.

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 forward-acting disruptive effect of older learning on the recall of new information.

Retroactive Interference

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

Repression

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

Reconsolidation

A process in which previously stored memories are potentially altered before being stored again.

Misinformation Effect

Occurs when a memory has been corrupted by misleading information.

Source Amnesia

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

Déjà Vu

The eerie sense that 'I’ve experienced this before,' triggered by cues from the current situation.