AP PSYCH 5.1

Sensory memory

A split-second holding bank for incoming sensory information.

Iconic Memory

A split-second perfect photograph of a scene.

Echoic Memory

An equally perfect brief memory for sounds.

Selective Attention

We encode what we are attending to or what is important for us.

Short-Term Memory

These Memories are currently working with and are aware of in our consciousness.

Chunking

Organizing items into a familiar, manageable unit.

Rehearse

Method of retention for short-term memory by repeating information.

Long-Term Memory

Permanent storage.

Explicit memories

Conscious memories of facts or events we actively tried to remember.

Implicit Memories

Unconscious memories that we might not even realize we have.

Recovered Memory

Individuals claim to suddenly remember events they have repressed for years. (MANY ARE FALSE RECOLLECTIONS OF EVENTS)

Constructed Memory

Can report false details of a real event or might even be recollection of an event that has never occurred.

Levels of Processing Model

This theory explains why we remember what we do by explaining how deeply memory is processed.

Retrieval

The process of matching a current event or fact with one already in memory.

Recognition

Matching a current event or fact with one already in memory.

Recall

Retrieving memory with an external cue.

Primacy effect

More likely to recall items presented at the beginning of a list.

Recency effect

Ability to recall the items at the end of the list.

Serial Positioning Model

Recall of a list is affected by the order of items in a list.

Tip-of-the-tongue Phenomenon

Temporary inability to remember information.

Semantic Network Theory

Brain forms new memories by connecting their meaning and context with meanings already in memory.

Flashbulb memories

Powerful memories encoded with the context surrounding the event.

State-dependent memory

Recalling events encoded while in particular states of consciousness.

Decay

Forgetting because we do not use memory connection to a memory for a long period of time.

Relearning Effect

Learning something you had forgotten takes less time than the first time around.

Interference

Other information in memory competes with what you are trying to recall.

Retroactive interference

Learning new information interferes with the recall of old information.

Proactive interference

Older information learned previously interferes with the recall of new information.

Anterograde Amnesia

Damage to the hippocampus, inability to encode new memories but can recall events already in memory.

Phonemes

Smallest units of sound.

Morpheme

Smallest unit of meaningful sound.

Syntax

Arrangement of words and phrases to create well-formed sentences in a language.

Babbling Stage

Infants spontaneously utter various sounds (not imitation of adult speech).

Holophrastic Stage

Babies speak in single words (around 1 year old).

Telegraphic Speech

Toddlers combine words into simple commands (18 months old).

Statistical Learning and Critical Periods

If children aren't exposed to language before age 7, they lose the ability to master any language.

Linguistic Relativity Hypothesis

The language we use might control or limit our thinking (By Benjamin Whorf).

Descriptions

Thoughts based on cognitive rules we apply to stimuli in our environment.

Prototypes

Most typical example of a particular concept.

Algorithms

Rules that guarantee the right solution by using a formula or other foolproof method.

Heuristics

Rules that generally, but not always, are true that we can use to make a judgment in a situation.