Psychology Midterm

flashbulb memory

An exceptionally clear recollection of an important event is a(n . .)

absentmindedness

lapses in memory that are caused by breaks in attention or our focus being somewhere else

acoustic encoding

input of sounds, words, and music

Amnesia

Loss of long term memory as the result of disease, physical trauma, or psychological trauma

anterograde amnesia

loss of memory for events immediately following a trauma

Arousal theory

Strong emotions trigger the formation of strong memories and weaker emotional experiences form weaker memories

Atkinson-Shiffrin Model

Memory model that states we process information through three systems: sensory memory, short term (working) memory, and long term memory

automatic processing

encoding of informational details like time, space, frequency, and the meaning of words

Bias

how feelings and view of the world distort memory of past events

Blocking

memory error in which you cannot access stored information

Chunking

Organizing information into manageable bits or chunks

Construction

formulation of new memories

declarative memory

type of long-term memory of facts and events we personally experience

effortful processing

encoding of information that takes effort and attention

elaborative rehearsal

Thinking about the meaning of the new information and its relation to knowledge already stored in your memory

Encoding

input of information into the memory system

Engram

Physical trace of memory

episodic memory

Type of declarative memory that contains information about events we have personally experienced, also known as autobiographical memory

Equipotentiality hypothesis

Some parts of the brain can take over for damaged parts in forming and storing memories

Explicit memory

memories we consciously try to remember and recall

False memory syndrome

Recall of false autobiographical memories

flashbulb memory

exceptionally clear recollection of an important event example 911

Forgetting

loss of information from long-term memory

Implicit memory

memories that are not part of our consciousness

levels of processing

Information that is thought of more deeply becomes more meaningful and thus better committed to memory

Long Term Memory (LTM)

Continuous storage of information

Memory

system or process that stores what we learn for future use

memory consolidation

active rehearsal to move information from short-term memory into long-term memory

memory-enhancing strategy

technique to help make sure information goes from short-term memory to long-term memory

misattribution

memory error in which you confuse the source of your information

misinformation effect paradigm

after exposure to incorrect information, a person may misremember the original event

Mnemonic device

Memory aids that help organize information for encoding

persistence

Failure of the memory system that involves the involuntary recall of unwanted information for encoding

proactive interference

old information hinders the recall of newly learned information

procedural memory

Type of long term memory for making skilled actions, such as how to brush your teeth, how to drive a car, and how to swim

Recall

Accessing information without cues

recognition

identifying previously learned information after encountering it again, usually in response to a cue

Reconstruction

process of bringing up old memories that might be distorted by new information

Rehearsal

Conscious repetition of information to be remembered

Relearning

Learning information that was previously learned

Retrieval

Act of getting information out of long term memory storage and back into conscious awareness

retroactive interference

information learned more recently hinders the recall of older information

retrograde amnesia

Loss of memory for events that occurred prior to brain trauma

self-reference effect

Tendency for an individual to have better memory for information that relates to oneself in comparison to material that has less personal relevance

Semantic encoding

input of words and their meaning

Semantic memory

type of declarative memory about words, concepts, and language-based knowledge and facts

Sensory memory

Storage of brief sensory events, such as sights, sounds, and tastes

short-term memory (STM) (working memory)

Holds about seven bits of information before its forgotten or stored, as well as information that has been retrieved and is being used

Storage

Creation of a permanent record of information

suggestibility

effects of misinformation from external sources that leads to the creation of false memories

transcience

memory error in which unused memories fade with the passage of time

visual encoding

input of images

The engram

Beginning with Karl Lashley, researchers and psychologists have been search for what?

Cerebellum, hippocampus, and amygdala

What three brain areas play a major role in processing and storing different types of memories?

implicit memory (e.g. procedural memory, motor learning)

The cerebellum's job is to

New memories are encoded Important in memory processing, specifically recognition memory and spatial memory.

Projects information to cortical regions that give memories meaning.

Plays a part in memory consolidation.

The hippocampus is where

Determine what memories to store: Regulates emotions, such as fear and aggression

Responsible for emotion memories.

Involved in memory consolidation: the process of transferring new learning into long-term memory.

The amygdala helps

Mnemonic devices, rehearsal, self referencing, and adequate sleep

What are four memory enhancing strategies?

working memory

_______ is another word for short term memory

Essentially limitless

The storage capacity of long term memory is

encoding, storage, and retrieval

The three functions of memory are

Egocentric bias

_______ is when our recollections of the past are done in a self-enhancing manner

Stereotypical bias

Involves racial and gender biases

hindsight bias

happens when we think an outcome was inevitable after the fact

Construction; Reconstruction

The formulation of new memories is sometimes called ________, and the process of bringing up old memories is called __________

Acrostic

When you learn to play the piano, the statement "every good boy does fine" can help you remember the notes e, g, b, d, and f for the lines of the treble clef. This is an example of an

Traumatic experiences

According to a study by Yogo and Fujihara (2008), if you want to improve your short-term memory, you should spend time writing about

Making material you are trying to memorize personally meaningful to you

The self-referencing effect refers to

prefrontal cortex

working memory Frontal cortex: associated with memory encoding and retrieval. Is not fully developed until middle 20's (24 +)

neurotransmitters

e.g., dopamine, glutamate, serotonin, etc.

We don't yet know which role each neurotransmitter plays in memory.

Arousal Theory (Christianson, 1992): strong emotions trigger the formation of strong memories, and weaker emotional experiences form weaker memos

Algorithm

problem-solving strategy characterized by a specific set of instructions

analytical intelligence

aligned with academic problem solving and computations

anchoring bias

faulty heuristic in which you fixate on a single aspect of a problem to find a solution

artificial concept

concept that is defined by a very specific set of characteristics

availability heuristic

faulty heuristic in which you make a decision based on information readily available to you

cognition

thinking, including perception, learning, problem solving, judgment, and memory

Cognitive Psychology

field of psychology dedicated to studying every aspect of how people think

cognitive script

set of behaviors that are performed the same way each time; also referred to as an event schema

concept

category or grouping of linguistic information, objects, ideas, or life experiences

confirmation bias

faulty heuristic in which you focus on information that confirms your beliefs

convergent thinking

providing correct or established answers to problems

creative intelligence

ability to produce new products, ideas, or inventing a new, novel solution to a problem

creativity

ability to generate, create, or discover new ideas, solutions, and possibilities

crystallized intelligence

characterized by acquired knowledge and the ability to retrieve it

cultural intelligence

ability with which people can understand and relate to those in another culture

divergent thinking

ability to think "outside the box" to arrive at novel solutions to a problem

Dysgraphia

learning disability that causes extreme difficulty in writing legibly

dyslexia

common learning disability in which letters are not processed properly by the brain

emotional intelligence

ability to understand emotions and motivations in yourself and others

event schema

set of behaviors that are performed the same way each time; also referred to as a cognitive script

fluid intelligence

ability to see complex relationships and solve problems

Flynn effect

observation that each generation has a significantly higher IQ than the previous generation

functional fixedness

inability to see an object as useful for any other use other than the one for which it was intended

grammar

set of rules that are used to convey meaning through the use of a lexicon

Heuristic

mental shortcut that saves time when solving a problem

hindsight bias

belief that the event just experienced was predictable, even though it really wasn't

intelligence quotient

score on a test designed to measure intelligence

language

communication system that involves using words to transmit info from one individual to another

lexicon

the words of a given language

mental set

continually using an old solution to a problem without results