APSYCH 10/30/25

AP

Memory

Learning that persists over time through encoding, storage, and retrieval (ex: remembering a trip or birthday)

Recall

Retrieving information not currently in awareness (ex: answering a fill-in-the-blank)

Recognition

Identifying previously learned items (ex: recognizing a face or choosing the correct multiple-choice answer)

Relearning

Learning something faster the second time (ex: reviewing old vocab and remembering it quickly)

Encoding

Getting information into memory (ex: paying attention to a lecture)

Storage

Retaining encoded information (ex: keeping math formulas for later use)

Retrieval

Getting information out of memory (ex: recalling a formula on a test)

Sensory Memory

Immediate, brief recording of sensory info (ex: seeing an image briefly and remembering it)

Short-Term Memory

Temporary memory of a few items (ex: holding a phone number long enough to dial it)

Long-Term Memory

Limitless, lasting storehouse of knowledge (ex: knowing your old home address)

Working Memory

Active processing of new and old info (ex: solving a math problem while remembering numbers)

Central Executive

Directs attention and coordinates info (ex: focusing on reading while tuning out noise)

Phonological Loop

Holds sound-based info briefly (ex: repeating a phone number silently)

Visuospatial Sketchpad

Temporarily stores visual/spatial info (ex: remembering where you parked)

Parallel Processing

Handling multiple aspects at once (ex: listening to music while reading)

Neurogenesis

Formation of new neurons (ex: exercise boosting hippocampal neurons)

Long-Term Potentiation (LTP)

Strengthened neural connections increasing efficiency (ex: practicing a song and recalling it faster next time)

Automatic Processing

Encoding without conscious effort (ex: remembering the route to school automatically)

SET 2

Explicit Memory

Memory of facts and experiences you can consciously recall (ex: remembering your birthday or a lesson)

Implicit Memory

Retention of skills or conditioned responses without awareness (ex: knowing how to ride a bike)

Effortful Processing

Encoding that requires focus and effort (ex: studying for a test)

Automatic Processing

Unconscious encoding of incidental info (ex: remembering your day’s sequence without trying)

Procedural Memory

Memory for automatic skills (ex: driving or typing without thinking)

Iconic Memory

Brief visual sensory memory (0.3 sec) (ex: quickly recalling flashed letters)

Echoic Memory

Brief auditory sensory memory (3–4 sec) (ex: remembering words you just heard)

Short-Term Memory

Holds limited info briefly (7±2 items) (ex: remembering digits before writing them down)

Working Memory

Active processing of current and stored info (ex: doing math while recalling formulas)

Chunking

Organizing items into manageable units (ex: grouping digits in a phone number)

Mnemonics

Memory aids using imagery or organization (ex: “My Very Educated Mother Just Served Us Noodles”)

Hierarchies

Organizing info into categories (ex: outlining notes by topic and subtopic)

Distributed Practice (Spacing Effect)

Spacing study sessions improves retention (ex: studying a little daily instead of cramming)

Testing Effect

Retrieval practice improves memory (ex: quizzing yourself with flashcards)

Shallow Processing

Encoding based on structure or appearance (ex: noticing a word’s capital letters)

Deep Processing

Encoding based on meaning for better retention (ex: linking a term to a personal story)

Self-Reference Effect

Better recall for personally meaningful info (ex: remembering traits that describe yourself)

SET 3

Long-Term Memory (LTM)

Stores info over long periods, unlimited capacity (ex: remembering a song from years ago)

Memory Consolidation

Transfer of memories to long-term storage (ex: studying before sleep improves recall)

Explicit Memory

Conscious memory of facts or events (ex: remembering a trip or knowing a capital city)

Semantic Memory

Explicit memory of facts and general knowledge (ex: knowing math rules or word meanings)

Episodic Memory

Memory of personal experiences (ex: recalling your last birthday)

Hippocampus

Processes explicit memories for storage (ex: remembering a new classroom’s location)

Frontal Lobes

Help process and retrieve explicit memories (ex: left—recalling a password

Implicit Memory

Unconscious memory of skills or responses (ex: knowing how to ride a bike)

Cerebellum

Forms and stores implicit/classically conditioned memories (ex: blinking at a tone linked to an air puff)

Basal Ganglia

Stores procedural skills (ex: riding a bike or typing)

Amygdala

Processes emotion and strengthens memories (ex: remembering where you were during a traumatic event)

Flashbulb Memory

Vivid memory of emotional moments (ex: remembering 9/11 or your first kiss)

SET 4

Forgetting

Memory failure due to encoding, storage, or retrieval issues (ex: forgetting a name you know)

Encoding Failure

Info never enters long-term memory (ex: not remembering a detail you didn’t notice)

Storage Decay

Memory trace fades over time (ex: forgetting nonsense syllables)

Retrieval Failure

Stored info can’t be accessed without cues (ex: word cue helps recall a sentence)

Proactive Interference

Old learning disrupts new (ex: old lock combo blocks new one)

Retroactive Interference

New learning disrupts old (ex: new lyrics erase memory of old ones)

Motivated Forgetting (Repression)

Pushing away anxiety-causing memories (ex: forgetting painful events)

Memory Construction / Reconsolidation

Memories are reconstructed, not exact (ex: misremembering after retelling)

Misinformation Effect

Misleading info alters memories (ex: “smashed” vs. “hit” in car crash study)

Imagination Inflation

Imagining creates false memories (ex: believing you took a hot-air balloon ride)

Source Amnesia

Forgetting the source of info (ex: misremembering who told you news)

Déjà Vu

Feeling of re-experiencing something (ex: thinking you’ve been somewhere before)

False Memories

Inaccurate but believable memories (ex: “remembering” unlisted words or events)

Children’s Eyewitness Reliability

Kids form false memories under suggestion (ex: leading questions cause wrong recall)

Improving Memory

Use spaced study, mnemonics, cues, sleep, and testing (ex: reviewing flashcards daily)

Active Learning

A learning method that requires learners to be actively involved in the learning process through activities that promote higher-order thinking, such as analysis, synthesis, and evaluation.

Passive Learning

A learning method where the learner receives information from an instructor or medium without direct involvement or interaction. The focus is on absorbing and assimilating information