Memory Vocabulary List

Metacognition

The awareness, understanding and control of one’s own thought processes. ex) reflective thinking, goal setting.

Concepts

Groupings of similar objects, events, ideas and people.

Prototypes

A mental image or best example of a concept

Creativity

The ability to produce ideas is both novel and valuable.

Convergent Thinking

A person's attempt to find a single, correct answer to a problem. 

Divergent Thinking

A person generates many unique, creative responses to a single question or problem.

Functional Fixedness

The inability to see a new use for an object

Executive Functions

Cognitive skills that work together to allow us to solve problems and make decisions effectively.

Algorithms

Step-by-step procedures that guarantee the right solution to a problem. It takes a long time. 

Heuristics

Simple thinking strategy that generally, but not always can be used to make a judgement to solve a problem. Is fast but prone to errors. 

Representativeness Heuristic

Judging a situation based on how similar the aspects are to the prototypes the person holds in their mind

Availability Heuristic

A mental shortcut where you judge how likely an event is based on how easily vivid or memorable examples come to your mind. 

Gambler's Fallacy

An individual erroneously believes that a certain random event is less likely or more likely to happen based on the outcome of a previous event or series of events. 

Sunk-Cost Fallacy

The phenomenon whereby a person is reluctant to abandon a strategy or course of action because they have invested heavily in it, even when it is clear that abandonment would be more beneficial. 

Mental Set

Tendency to approach a problem with the mind-set of what has worked for us previously.

Confirmation Bias

We look for evidence to confirm our beliefs and ignore evidence that contradicts them.

Belief Perseverance

The tendency to cling to our beliefs in the face of contrary evidence. It takes more compelling evidence to change one's beliefs than it does to create them.

Framing

The way a problem is presented can drastically affect the way we view it.

Encoding

The process of getting information into memory.

Storage

The retention of encoded information.

Retrieval

The process of getting the information out of memory storage.

Automatic Processing

Unconscious encoding of information. ex) singing your favorite song without studying the lyrics.

Effortful Processing

Encoding that requires attention and conscious effort. ex) school, having to study.

Spacing Effect

The tendency for distributed practice to yield better long-term retention than is achieved through massed practice.

Massed Practice

Cramming, encoding all at once.

Shallow Processing

Encoding information in a superficial or surface level manner, resulting in weaker storage and retrieval from long-term memory.

Structural Processing

We encode only the physical qualities of something. ex) letters, numbers, punctuation.

Phonemic Processing

When we encode its sound

Deep Processing

Close attention and high level of thought, focusing on an item’s meaning and relating it to something else. Leads to better retention and recall.

Semantic Processing

We encode the meaning of the word, understanding. 

Recall

Retrieving information that was learned at an earlier time. ex) fill in the blank or essays.

Recognition

A measure of memory in which the person identifies items previously learned. ex) multiple choice.

Testing Effect

One way to distribute practices is repeated self-testing. ex) having somebody quiz you.

Long-term Potentiation

A process by which synaptic connections between neurons become stronger with frequent activation, The more you talk/provide examples for words allows you to remember.

Multi-store Model of Memory

Human memory is a linear system. Sensory Memory → Short-term Memory  →  Long-term Memory.

Sensory Memory

The immediate, very brief recording of sensory information into the memory system.

Iconic Sensory Memory

Visual, 1/10 of a second.

Echoic Memory

auditory , 3-4 seconds.

Short-term Memory

Briefly activated memory of a few items that are later stored or forgotten. 5-9 items for about 20-30 seconds.

Working Memory

Memory that allows you to manipulate information while it’s being stored to guide specific tasks. Ex) problem solving, decision making and multitasking.

Phonological Loop

Handling auditory information. ex) repeating phone #’s

Visuospatial sketchpad

Processes visual and spatial information. ex) imaging your house to count # of windows.

Central Executive

Coordinates the activities of the phonological loop and visuospatial sketchpad.

Chunking

Organizing items into familiar, manageable units. ex) debit card, phone #, social security #

Maintenance Rehearsal

Repeating information (great for maximizing short term memory)