Brain Games Episode 6, Season 4 - Memory and Eyewitness Notes

Vocabulary flashcards covering key memory concepts, mnemonic techniques, and eyewitness memory reliability from the Brain Games and TED Talk notes.

Mnemonic imagery

A memory technique that uses vivid mental images to encode and recall information (e.g., associating items with memorable pictures).

Short-term memory

A temporary holding place for information, typically lasting about 6–30 seconds before it is forgotten or encoded into long-term memory.

Long-term memory

A relatively permanent store of information with a wide range of recallability over time.

Chunking

Grouping related items into larger units to increase the amount of information held in short-term memory (e.g., breaking a phone number into chunks).

Emotional arousal and memory

Exciting or emotionally charged experiences release adrenaline and related chemicals that strengthen memory formation.

Emotionally salient memories

Memories with strong emotional significance tend to be more vivid and enduring.

Memory palace

A mnemonic technique (method of loci) using a familiar spatial route to organize and retrieve information.

Acrostic mnemonic

A mnemonic where the initial letters of words form a new word or phrase to aid recall (e.g., SPACE for Significance, Purpose, Author, Context, Evidence).

Doorway effect

Context shifts that occur when passing through doorways can briefly disrupt memory retrieval due to a change in environment.

Context-dependent memory

Memory retrieval is improved when the recall context matches the encoding context.

Google Effect / Digital Amnesia

The tendency to rely on digital devices to store and retrieve information, reducing internal memory.

The Shallows (Nicholas Carr)

The idea that the Internet changes how we read, process information, and form memories.

Neuroplasticity

The brain’s ability to reorganize itself by forming new neural connections in response to learning and experience.

Attention and encoding (memory formation)

Formation of long-term memories relies on focused attention and effective encoding strategies.

Shallow processing (modern media)

Contemporary media can promote superficial processing, leading to shallower understanding and weaker memory encoding.

Eyewitness memory

Memory and recollection of events by witnesses; highly susceptible to errors and reconstruction.

Reconstructed memory

Memories that are filled in with inferred or suggested information, which can lead to distortions.

Visual perception factors

Lighting, context, and setting influence how we perceive scenes and remember them.

Confidence-accuracy relationship in eyewitnesses

Eyewitness confidence does not always correspond to actual accuracy of the memory.

Partial/fragmented encoding

Encoding often captures only parts of an event, leaving gaps that can be filled later by memory.

Memory as dynamic and volatile

Memories can change over time and become distorted with subsequent recall.

Wrongful conviction due to eyewitness error

A conviction resulting from misidentification or faulty eyewitness testimony.