AP Psychology- Unit 5 (Memory)

Memory

the power of retaining and recalling past experience

Episodic memory

Memory of one's personal experiences

Semantic memory

your memory for meanings and general (impersonal) facts

procedural memory

memory of learned skills that does not require conscious recollection.

Encoding

the processing of information into the memory system

Storage

the retention of encoded information over time

Retrieval

the process of getting information out of memory storage

Three box information processing model

This model proposes that there are three stages that information passes through before it is stored.

sensory memory

the immediate, initial recording of sensory information in the memory system. 2, 1/2 seconds

short term memory

activated memory that holds a few items briefly, such as the seven digits of a phone number while dialing, before the information is stored or forgotten

serial position effect

our tendency to recall best the last and first items in a list

chunking

organizing items into familiar, manageable units; often occurs automatically.

long term memory

the relatively permanent and limitless storehouse of the memory system

consolidation

A hypothetical process involving the gradual conversion of information into durable memory codes stored in long-term memory.

decay theory

proposes that forgetting occurs because memory traces fade with time

flashbulb memory

a clear memory of an emotionally significant moment or event

tip of the tongue phenomenon

experience of knowing that we know something but being unable to access it

context dependent memory

theory that info learned in a particular situation or PLACE is better remembered when in that same situation or place.

state dependent memory

The theory that information learned in a particular state of mind (e.g., depressed, happy, somber) is more easily recalled when in that same state of mind.

recognition

a measure of memory in which the person need only identify items previously learned, as on a multiple-choice test.

recall

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

relearning

A memory measure that assesses the amount of time saved when learning material for a second time.

retroactive interference

when new learning disrupts the recall of previously-learned information

proactive interference

the disruptive effect of prior learning on the recall of new information.

confabulation

the false recollection of episodic memory, filling in gaps.

repression

the classical defense mechanism that protects you from impulses or ideas that would cause anxiety by preventing them from becoming conscious

infantile amnesia

the inability to remember events that occurred during one's early years (before age three)

anterograde amnesia

loss of memory for events immediately following a trauma

retrograde amnesia

loss of memory for events immediately preceding a trauma, loss of memories that were stored before a traumatic event

mnemonic devices

devices for, memory tricks or strategies to make information easier to remember

Alzheimer's disease

a progressive and irreversible brain disorder characterized by gradual deterioration of memory, reasoning, language, and, finally, physical functioning

mood congruent memory

the tendency to recall experiences that are consistent with one's current good or bad mood

priming

the activation, often unconsciously, of particular associations in memory

automatic processing

unconscious encoding of incidental information, such as space, time, and frequence

selective attention

the focusing of conscious awareness on a particular stimulus

Explicit Memory

memory of facts and experiences that one can consciously know and "declare"

Implicit Memory

Memories we don't deliberately remember or reflect on consciously

Structural Encoding

Working Memory

active maintenance of information in short-term storage

Prospective Memory

remembering to do something in the future

Method of Loci

A mnemonic technique that involves associating items on a list with a sequence of familiar physical locations

Maintenance Rehearsal

A system for remembering involving repeating information to oneself without attempting to find meaning in it

Elaborative Rehearsal

a method of transferring information from STM into LTM by making that information meaningful in some way

Superior Autobiographical Memory

this type of memory is a near-perfect ability to recall every episodic memory you've made

Metacognition

awareness and understanding of one's own thought processes.

Forgetting Curve (Ebbinghaus)

Describes how the ability of the brain to retain information decreases in time.

Misinformation Effect

incorporating misleading information into one's memory of an event

Constructive Memory

a process by which we first recall a generalized schema and then add in specific details