unit 1 day 5

forgetting

loss of memory from events in the past

false memory

an imaginary or distorted recollection of an event

anterograde amnesia

inability to produce more memories

retrograde amnesia

inability to retrieve memories/information from the past

encoding failure

when information fails to be encoded and stored as a memory

forgetting curve

tendency to remove parts of newly learned information in a matter of days or weeks unless actively reviewed

retrieval failure

when information that has already been encoded and stored in long term memory cannot be retrieved or accessed

tip of the tongue

inability to retrieve information because of a particular visual, sound, or touch (a person will know what they are thinking of, but the memory remains difficult to find and out of reach)

proactive interference

occurs when prior learning disrupts the recall of information

retroactive interference

occurs when new learning disrupts the recall of information

motivated forgetting

when an individual unconsciously blocks out past traumas, experiences, unpleasant feelings, or emotions

repression

the basic defense mechanism that banishes-from- consciousness anxiety arousing thoughts, feelings and memories

memory construction error

when information acquired after an event alters the memory of that event

reconsolidation

a process in which previously stored memories are altered before stored again during retrieval

confabulation

a type of memory error where previously unknown gaps in a memory are unconsciously filled with fabricated, misinterpreted, or distorted information (confusing things that are imagined with real memories)

transience

the decreasing of memory over time

absent-mindedness

lapses of attention and forgetting to do things

blocking

temporary inaccessibility of stored information

suggestibility

incorporation of misinformation into memory due to leading questions, deception, etc.

bias

retrospective distortions produced by current knowledge and beliefs

persistence

unwanted recollections that people can't forget

misattributions

attributions of memories to incorrect sources or believing that you have seen or heard something you actually haven't

misinformation effect

incorporating misleading information into a memory of an event

imagination inflation

type of memory distortion that occurs when imagining an event that never happened increases the confidence in the memory of the event

source amnesia

attributing to the wrong source an event that has been experienced, heard about, or imagined

deja vu

the sense that "ive experienced this before"

childhood eyewitness recall

if a person had a traumatic experience in their childhood, the recollections may be sincere but wrong, making the eyewitness inaccurate

alzheimer's disease

a type of dementia that starts with mild memory loss, possibly leading to the inability to carry on with a conversation, reacting to the environment, etc. (involves parts of the brain that control thought, memory, and language)

Infantile amnesia

memory loss dealing with memories from being born to early childhood (ex. can't remember anything before preschool)