Encoding and Storage

Vocabulary flashcards covering key concepts from the lecture on encoding and storage, including mnemonic devices, memory types, rehearsal strategies, and memory impairments.

Encoding

The process of transforming sensory input into a form that can be stored in memory, involving strategies that help information "stick."

Mnemonic Devices

Strategies that enhance encoding by making information more organized, distinctive, or meaningful.

Acronym Mnemonic

A mnemonic device using the first letter of each word to form a new word or phrase to recall a list of items, e.g., HOMES for the Great Lakes.

Method of Loci

A mnemonic device pairing items with familiar spatial locations to aid memory.

Chunking

Breaking information into smaller, manageable units that are easier to process and remember.

Organization of Information

Making encoding more effective by organizing information into chunks, categories, or hierarchies that create meaningful structure.

The Spacing Effect

The phenomenon where encoding and memory consolidation are stronger when learning is distributed over time rather than concentrated in one session.

The Serial Position Effect

The influence of the order in which information is presented on how well it is remembered.

Primacy Effect

The tendency to remember items presented at the beginning of a list more effectively, often due to more rehearsal and entry into long-term memory.

Recency Effect

The tendency to remember items presented at the end of a list more effectively, as they are often still in short-term memory.

Sensory Memory

Very brief storage of sensory information, lasting only a fraction of a second, such as an afterimage.

Short-Term Memory (STM)

Holds a limited amount of information for about 15

30 seconds without rehearsal.

Working Memory

The active processing system that allows for the manipulation of information in short-term memory, e.g., mentally rearranging steps in a recipe.

Long-Term Memory (LTM)

A relatively permanent and limitless storehouse of information, e.g., recalling the name of a first-grade teacher years later.

Maintenance Rehearsal

Involves repeating information over and over to keep it in short-term memory.

Elaborative Rehearsal

Involves linking new information to existing knowledge or making it personally meaningful, which supports long-term memory storage.

Highly Superior Autobiographical Memory (HSAM)

A rare ability allowing individuals to recall personal life experiences with exceptional detail and accuracy.

Retrograde Amnesia

The loss of pre-existing memories prior to an injury or trauma.

Anterograde Amnesia

The inability to form new long-term memories after the onset of injury or damage.

Alzheimer

s Disease

A progressive neurodegenerative disorder that gradually destroys memory, reasoning, and other cognitive functions.

Infantile Amnesia

The inability of most adults to retrieve memories from early childhood, typically before age 3

4.