Psychology Memory (2.3-2.6)

Memory

the persistence of learning over time through the encoding, storage, and retrieval of information

Explicit memory

declarative memories including experiences and facts

Semantic memory

Words, numbers, concepts, and episodic (past events)

Infantile amnesia

absence of recall, by adults, of personal memories that occurred before the age of 2 or 3

Implicit memories

(non declarative) also include procedural memory for automatic skills

Selective Attention

Is the process of focusing on a particular object in the environment for a certain period of time

Divided attention

attend to two different stimuli at the same time

Prospective memory

memory for actions to be performed in the future

Encoding

Processing of information into the memory system

Storage

the process of retaining encoded information over time

Retrieval

the process of getting info out of memory storage

Sensory Memory

Immediate, very brief recording of sensory information (including iconic and echoic memory)

Short-term memory

holds a few items briefly

Long-term memory

- relatively permanent, limitless storehouse of memory system

- Ex. knowledge, skills, experiences

Working Memory

- a newer understanding of short-term memory that focuses on conscious, active processing of incoming auditory and visual-spatial information, and of information retrieved from long-term memory

- Interaction with several components: central executive phonological loop, and visuospatial sketchpad to process info into long term memory

Effortful Processing

- encoding that requires attention and conscious effort

- Explicit memories (declaring)

Automatic Processing

- unconscious encoding of incidental information

- Implicit memories (non-declarative)

Echoic Memory

Momentary sensory memory of auditory stimuli

Iconic memory

Momentary sensory memory of visual stimuli

Capacity of Short term memory

7 +/- 2 items of information

Duration of Short term memory

18-30 seconds

Encoding of Short term memory

Mainly acoustically

Encoding of long term memory

Mainly semantically

Forgetting Curve

Illustrates how we initially rapidly lose info, but can slow the learning decay if rehearsed or relearned

Shallow processing

encoding on a basic level based on the structure, words, or sounds

ex. think about what the word rhymes with

deep processing

encoding semantically, based on the meaning of the words; yields the best retention

ex. organizing notes around common theme

semantic processing

Deepest level of information processing in memory, where the meaning of a word, concept, or stimulus is actively analyzed and related to existing knowledge

Long-term Potentiation

a process by which synaptic connections between neurons become stronger with frequent activation, is a biological process for memory

Structural

Visual aspects of a word, such as its length, case, or whether it's handwritten or typed

ex. you might remember the color of a word

Phonemic

auditory aspects of a word, such as its tone, volume, or pronunciation

ex. you might think about what a word rhymes with

Semantic processing

Meaning of a word, and involves associating it with an idea, emotion, or previous knowledge

Chunking

Organize items into familiar units

Mnemonics

memory aids (ex. PEMDAS)

method of loci

mentally travel to locations and associate to-be-remembered information with a specific location

Distributed Practice

Spacing effect can cause differences in encoding and memory consolidation depending on whether information is encoded all at once (massed practice) or distributed over time (distributed practice)

Spacing effect

tendency for distributed study to yield better long-term retention

Serial Position effect

Our tendency to recall best the last (a recency effect) and first items (a primacy effect) in a library

Maintenance rehearsal

rehearsing information over time to prolong storage

Elaborative rehearsal

rehearsing info over time in ways that promote meaning

recognition memory

identify previous learning; typically easier (relies on retrieval cues)

recall memory

retrieving previous learning; decline with age (remembering without cues)

Priming

Activation, often unconsciously, of particular associations in memory

context-dependent memory

revisiting the location of an experience

state-dependent memory

what we experience in one state could be remembered better next time we are in the same state

mood congruent

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

metacognition

process used to plan, monitor, and assess one's understanding and performance

ex. planning how to approach a learning task

anterograde amnesia

inability to form new memories

retrograde amnesia

inability to retrieve information from one's past

Alzheimer's disease

a brain disorder that gradually destroys memory and thinking skills

autobiographical memory

- the memory for events and facts related to one's personal life story

- Some have highly superior autobiographical memory

- may explain why memories connected to our own lives are more memorable