Cog Psych Exam 3 (Memory)

Retrieval Cue

A clue that helps retrieve information stored in long-term memory

Working Memory

Temporarily stores and manipulates small amounts of information

Episodic Buffer

Working memory component that integrates information and connects working memory with long-term memory

Storage

Retention of information in long-term memory over time

Generation Effect

Better long-term memory for information you actively generate yourself

Central Executive

Controls attention and coordinates working memory process

Sensory Memory

Brief retention of sensory information after stimulation ends

Visuispatial Sketchpad

Working memory component that processes visual and spatial information

Retrieval

Accessing and using information stored in long-term memory

Long-Term Memory

Stores large amounts of information for extended periods, potentially a lifetime

Peg Word Technique

Mnemonic that links new information to an already memorized list of peg words

Recency Effect

Better recall of items at the end of a list, often due to working memory

Acquisition

Process of gaining new knowledge and forming new long-term memories

Maintenance Rehearsal

Repeating information to keep it active in short-term or working memory

Short-Term Memory

Temporary storage of small amounts of information

Elaborative Rehearsal

Connecting new information to meaning or existing knowledge to improve long-term memory

Phonological Loop

Working memory component that processes verbal and auditory information

Primacy Effect

Better recall of items at the beginning of a list, often due to long-term memory

Articulatory Suppression

Speaking prevents rehearsal of verbal information in working memory

Chunking

Combining smaller pieces of information into larger, meaningful units

Method of Loci

Mnemonic that links information to familiar locations along a mental route

Source Memory

Memory for where, when, or how information was originally learned

State-Dependent Learning

Better recall for when your internal state matches the state during learned

Semantic Memory

Long-term memory for facts, meanings, and general knowledge

Retrieval Paths

Connections that lead to stored information in memory

Processing Fluency

Ease and speed of processing information, often increased by familiarity

Implicit Memory

Memory that influences behavior without conscious awareness

Retrograde Amnesia

Loss of memories formed before a brain injury or other event

Context Reinstatement

Mentally recreating the original learning context to improve recall

Illusory Truth Effect

Repeated or familiar information seems more believable, even when false

Cyptomnesia

Unintentional plagiarism caused by forgetting the original source of an idea

Spreading Activation

Activation of one concept in a memory network spreads to related concepts

Explicit Memory

Conscious recollection of facts and personal experiences

Mood Congruence

Greater recall of memories whose emotional tone matches your current mood

Familiarity

Feeling that something was encountered before without recalling specific details

Subthreshold Activation

Memory activation too weak to produce conscious recall

Source Misattribution Error

Remembering information but incorrectly identifying where it came from

Anterograde Amnesia

Difficulty forming new long-term memories after brain injury or illness

Episodic Memory

Long-term memory for personally experienced events

Encoding Specifity

Recall improves when retrieval cues match the context present during learning

Misinformation Effect

Misleading information received after an event alters memory of the original event

Proactive Interference

Previously learned information interferes with remembering newer information

Testing Effect

Actively retrieving information improves long-term retention more than passive rereading

Schema

Organized knowledge about what typically happens in a situation or event

Memory Consolidation

Process of stabilizing and strengthening newly formed memories over time

Retrieval-Induced Forgetting

Retrieving certain information makes related, unpracticed information harder to recall

Decay Theory of Forgetting

Retrieving certain information makes related, unpracticed information harder to recall

Retroactive Interference

Newly learned information interferes with remembering older information

Prospective Memory

Remembering to perform an intended action in the future

Retrieval Failure

Inability to access information stored in long-term memory

Script

Knowledge of the typical sequence of actions in familiar situation

Reminiscence Bump

Tendency to recall more autobiographical memories from approximately ages 10-30

Implanted Memories

False autobiographical memories created through suggestion or misleading information

Tip-of-the-Tongue Phenomenon

Temporary inability to retrieve known information despite feeling close to remembering it

Autobiographical Memory

Memory of one’s own life, including personal experiences and facts

Flashbulb Memory

Vivid memory of a surprising or emotional event that is not necessarily accurate

Associative Interference

Many associations with a concept slow retrieval of one specific association (fan effect).

Cognitive Interview

Many retrieval technique using multiple cues and context reinstatement to improve eyewitness recall

Pragmatic Inferences

Assumptions about implied meaning that can influence or distort memories