PSYC 3040 Module 3 Chapter 7

Consolidation

The process that transforms new memories into a state in which they are more resistant to disruption.

Deep processing

Processing that involves attention to meaning and relating an item to something else. Deep processing is usually associated with elaborative rehearsal.

Depth of processing

The idea that the processing that occurs as an item is being encoded into memory can be deep or shallow. Deep processing involves attention to meaning and is associated with elaborative rehearsal. Shallow processing involves repetition with little attention to meaning and is associated with maintenance rehearsal

Elaborative rehearsal

Rehearsal that involves thinking about the meaning of an item to be remembered or making connections between that item and prior knowledge.

Encoding

The process of acquiring information and transferring it into memory.

Generation effect

Memory for material is better when a person generates the material him- or herself, rather than passively receiving it

Graded amnesia

When amnesia is most severe for events that occurred just prior to an injury and becomes less severe for earlier, more remote events.

Levels of processing theory

The idea that memory depends on how information is encoded, with better memory being achieved when processing is deep than when processing is shallow. Deep processing involves attention to meaning and is associated with elaborative rehearsal. Shallow processing involves repetition with little attention to meaning and is associated with maintenance rehearsal.

Long-term potentiation (LTP)

The increased firing that occurs in a neuron due to prior activity at the synapse.

Maintenance rehearsal

Rehearsal that involves repetition without any consideration of meaning or making connections to other information.

Multiple trace model of consolidation

The idea that the hippocampus is involved in the retrieval of remote memories, especially episodic memories. This contrasts with the standard model of memory, which proposes that the hippocampus is involved only in the retrieval of recent memories

Retrieval

The process of remembering information that has been stored in long-term memory.

Retrograde amnesia

Loss of memory for something that happened prior to an injury or traumatic event such as a concussion

Self-reference effect

Memory for a word is improved by relating the word to the self.

Shallow processing

Processing that involves repetition with little attention to meaning. Shallow processing is usually associated with maintenance rehearsal.

Spacing effect

The advantage in performance caused by short study sessions separated by breaks from studying.

Standard model of consolidation

Proposes that memory retrieval depends on the hippocampus during consolidation, but that once consolidation is complete, retrieval no longer depends on the hippocampus

State-dependent learning

The principle that memory is best when a person is in the same state for encoding and retrieval. This principle is related to encoding specificity.

Transfer-appropriate processing

When the type of task that occurs during encoding matches the type of task that occurs during retrieval. This type of processing can result in enhanced memory.

Cued Recall

A procedure for testing memory in which a participant is presented with cues, such as words or phrases, to aid recall of previously experienced stimuli.

Encoding Specificity

The principle that we learn information together with its context. This means that presence of the context can lead to enhanced memory for the information.

Free Recall

A procedure for testing memory in which the participant is asked to remember stimuli that were previously presented.

Paired-associate Learning

A learning task in which participants are first presented with pairs of words, then one word of each pair is presented and the task is to recall the other word.

Retrieval Cue

Aspects of an individual's physical and cognitive environment which aid the recall process

Synaptic Consolidation

A process of consolidation that involves structural changes at synapses that happen rapidly, over a period of minutes.

Systems Consolidation

A consolidation process that involves the gradual reorganization of circuits within brain regions and takes place on a long timescale, lasting weeks, months, or even years.

Testing Effect

Enhanced performance on a memory test caused by being tested on the material to be remembered.