PSYC1200/ Chapter 8: Memory

recognition

the ability to identify information you have previously encountered when it is presented as one of other options

• ex. multiple choice, true-and-false tests

recall

ability to retrieve and reproduce information encountered earlier

• ex. fill-in-the-blank and essay question tests

information-processing model

model of memory that involves the input, output, accessing, and retrieval of information

three-box model

model of memory that proposes three interacting systems:

• the sensory register

• working memory

  • long-term memory

sensory memory

first part of the three-box model

• holds the stimulus for a couple seconds

attention

information is moved from the sensory register to working memory through ___

rehearsal

method to get information to stay in working memory

encode

once you ___ information it moves from working memory to long-term memory

retrival

the process of moving memories from long-term memory back into working memory

parallel distributed processing model

connectionist memory model

• says that all memories are connected through a network of connections

  • these connections are strengthened based on their proximity to important information, and how many times we recall the information

• the stronger a connection is, the easier it is for us to retrieve it

iconic memory

visual form of sensory memory

• 1 second

echoic memory

audio version of sensory memory

• 5 - 10 seconds

chunking

method of encoding in which we organize larger units of information into smaller, more meaningful units3

• only works if the smaller chunks are recognizable to the participant

explicit memory

type of long-term memory that requires conscious awareness and thought

• semantic and episodic

• declarative memory

implicit memories

type of long-term memory that does not require conscious awareness

• procedural memory (motor)

  • non-declarative memory

serial position effect

a memory phenomenon in which people are more likely to remember the first and last words on a list

primacy effect

remembering the first 3 words out of a list of words because the words have begun the process of entering the individual’s long-term memory

recency effect

when the participant remembers the last 4 four words they were shown out of a list because they are still present in the working memory

• can be reduced by increasing the time between the participant seeing the words, and the test of their memory

proactive interference

makes it difficult to remember new words because of pre existing information

retroactive interferance

makes it difficult to remember previous words when memorizing new ones

long-term potentiation

a long-lasting increase in strength of synaptic responsiveness

• causes neurons to become more recpetive to new neurotransmitters which increases the speed of neural transmissions

amygdala

part of the brain involved in the formation, consolidation, and retrieval of memories of emotionally arousing events

hippocampus

part of the brain involved in recalling past events and explicit memories

implicit memories

areas like the cerebellum and stratum are important for ___ ___

flashbulb memories

intense, and vivid emotional memories

maintenance rehearsal

type of rehearsal the involves routine repetition of material

• decreased likelihood of going into working memory

elaborate rehearsal

type of rehearsal more likely to result in transfer to long-term memory

deep processing

when an individual processes the meaning of information rather than just its physical sensory features

decay theory

a mechanism of forgetting with the idea that information disappears if its not accessed

replacement theory

mechanism of forgetting that states that new information erases and replaces old information in long-term memory

cue dependance forgetting

mechanism of forgetting that comprises of the inability to retrieve information stored in memory because of insufficient cues for recall

encoding specificity principle

the idea that retrieval is most effective when the conditions at the time of encoding and retrieval are the same

• context-dependent, state-dependant, and mood-dependent memory

psychogenetic amnesia

amnesia in which the cause of forgetting is strictly psychological

• begins after a psychologically stressful event

source misattribution

the inability to distinguish an actual memory of an event from information you learned about the event elsewhere

confabulation

the confusion of imagined events with actual ones under certain circumstances