Memory

Encoding

Getting information into our brain.

Storage

Retaining information in our brain.

Retrieval

Getting information back out of our brain.

Parallel Processing

Processing multiple things at once; typical brain processing method.

Sensory Memory

Immediate memory lasting a few seconds; includes echoic and iconic memory.

Iconic Memory

Visual sensory memory lasting for a tenth of a second.

Echoic Memory

Auditory sensory memory lasting for less than 4 seconds.

Short-term Memory

Memory produced when information is attentively absorbed, lasts for about 20-30 seconds.

Long-term Memory

Memory that stays forever and can be retrieved when needed.

Implicit Memory

Nondeclarative memories that involve automatic processing.

Working Memory

Complex version of short-term memory that processes visual, auditory, and retrieval information.

Visual-spatial Information

Stores and processes information in a spatial/visual form.

Central Executive Functions

Controls the entire system, managing information processing.

Phonological Loop

Stores spoken or written information.

Visuospatial Sketchpad

Temporarily stores visual/spatial information.

Episodic Memory

Memory containing information of specific life events.

Shallow Memory

Structural memory based on the structure of letters.

Intermediate Memory

Phonemic memory, relating to how sounds are remembered.

Deep Memory

Semantic memory, where understanding is applied.

Explicit Memory

Declarative memories requiring effortful processing.

Effortful Processing

Processing for explicit memories occurring in the hippocampus and frontal lobes.

Automatic Memory

Memories that automatically enter long-term storage.

Chunking

Group information into associated pieces for better recall.

Mnemonics

Memory aids to enhance retention.

Peg-word

Associates words with numbers for easy recall.

Method of Loci

Associates words with vivid locations for memory.

Acronyms

Associates words with capital letters.

Hierarchy

Organizes information from general topics to specific details.

Distributed Practice

Spacing out learning to encode information better.

Spacing Effect

Improved retention through distributed practice.

Testing Effect

Enhanced ability to retrieve information through self-testing.

Self-referencing Effect

Making information personal to improve long-term recall.

Autobiographical Memory

Memory of personal past events.

Prospective Memory

Memory of future tasks.

Procedural Memory

Long-term memory for motor skills.

Eidetic Imagery

Photographic memory.

Hippocampus

Brain area essential for processing explicit memories.

Frontal Lobes

Brain area that manages explicit memory retrieval.

Brain Cortex

Sends information to the basal ganglia for task execution.

Sleep and Memory

Sleep aids in processing information into long-term memory.

Cerebellum

Brain part controlling implicit memories.

Classical Conditioning

Learning through natural reflexes.

Infantile Amnesia

Inability to remember events from early childhood.

Amygdala

Processes emotional experiences related to memories.

Flashbulb Memories

Vivid memories tied to emotional experiences.

Long-term Potentiation

Strengthening of synapses during learning.

Recall

Retrieving learned information.

Recognition

Retrieving information associated with learned material.

Relearning

Easier retention of previously learned information.

Meta-cognition

Awareness and regulation of one's own learning strategies.

Priming

Activation of specific associations in memory.

Retrieval Cues

Associations aiding memory retrieval.

Context-dependent Memory

Recall improved when in the same location as encoding.

Mood Congruent Memory

Better recall based on one's emotional state.

Serial Position Effect

Tendency to remember the first and last items in a list.

Recency Effect

Better recall of items at the end of a list.

Primacy Effect

Better recall of items at the beginning of a list.

Cognitive Bias

Tendency to remember biased information.

Confirmation Bias

Remembering only what supports one's beliefs.

Hindsight Bias

Current feelings influencing memories of past events.

Anterograde Amnesia

Inability to remember new information due to hippocampus damage.

Retrograde Amnesia

Inability to recall old information due to cerebral cortex damage.

Forgetting

Failure to retrieve information from long-term memory.

Encoding Failure

Short-term memory failing to convert to long-term.

Storage Decay

Physical trace of memory fading over time.

Retrieval Failure

Inability to access information stored in long-term memory.

Interference

Distraction affecting information processing.

Proactive Interference

Old information hinders the processing of new information.

Retroactive Interference

New information hinders the recall of old information.

Imagination Inflation

False memories created through imagination.

Motivated Forgetting

Deliberate repression of memories.

Repression

Freud's theory of intentionally forgetting memories due to anxiety.

Misinformation Effect

Encoding and retrieval of incorrect information.

Source Amnesia

Inability to recall the origin of learned information.

Déjà Vu

Feeling of familiarity with something previously unseen.

Hermann Ebbinghaus

Pioneered the study of the forgetting process.

Eric Kandel and James Schwartz

Studies on how neurotransmitters enhance memory connections.

Elizabeth Loftus

Researcher known for studies on misinformation effects.

Sperling

Known for partial report experiments studying visual memory.