AP Psychology Units 2.5-2.7 Vocab

Sensory Memory

Brief holding of sensory information

Ex.) Remembering the exact sound of a bell after it rings

Short-Term Memory

Holding small amounts of information for a short period of time

Ex.) Remembering a phone number long enough to dial it

Working Memory

Active processing of information in short-term memory

Ex.) Solving a math problem by keeping several numbers in mind to input into the calculator

Long-Term Memory

Storing information for extended periods of time

Ex,) Remembering your childhood address

Maintenance Rehearsal

Repeating information to keep it in short-term memory

Ex.) Repeating a phone number to remember it temporarily 

Elaborative Rehearsal

Connecting new information to previously existing knowledge to promote long-term retention

Highly Superior Autobiographical Memory

the ability to process memory with intricate detail, unique biological process for superior memory storage

Amnesia

Memory loss due to brain injury/disease

Retrograde Amnesia

Loss of pre-existing memories

Ex.) Forgetting events BEFORE a car accident

Anterograde Amnesia

Inability to form new memories

Ex.) Not being able to remember anything AFTER a car accident

Alzheimer’s Disease

A progressive disease, destroying memory and other mental functions

Ex.) Gradual loss of memory and cognitive abilities in older adults

Infantile Amnesia

Inability to recall memories from early childhood

Ex.) Not remembering events from the first few years of life

Memory Retrieval

the process of accessing information stored within memory in between Recall and Recognition 

Recall

Remembering information without cues/prompts

Ex.) Answering a FRQ

Recognition

Identifying information using retrieval cues/prompts

Ex.) Answering MCQ, using POE based on recognizing information

Context-Dependent Memory

Retrieval becomes more effective when in the same environment where the information was encoded

Ex.) studying in the same room you will test in because it will improve recall

Mood-Congruent Memory

The mood you are in during retrieval is similar to the specific emotional tone of the memory you are accessing

Ex.) Remembering happy memories when you are in a similar mood

State-Dependent Memory

Retrieval is more effective when in the same physical state that you were in during encoding

Ex.) Learning something when angry may be recalled better when you are angry 

Testing Effect

frequent testing of learned material improves long-term retention

Ex.) Self-quizzing on study material and learning from these mistakes

Metacognition

Awareness and understanding of one’s own thought processes can improve memory

Ex.) Reflecting on what study methods work best for you to adjust accordingly to improve test results

Forgetting Curve

illustrates how time impacts memory retention

Key Point: forgetting occurs rapidly after initial learning, but levels off over time

Ex.) remembering the Declaration of Independence as a foundational US document (core ideas), but forgetting what is says/who wrote it (explicit details)

Encoding Failure

Information never properly encoded into long-term memory

Ex.) the inability to remember somebody’s name because you never paid full attention

Proactive Interference

Old information hinders the recall of new information

Ex.) Difficulty remembering a new phone number because an old one keeps coming into mind

Retroactive Intereference

New information makes it hard to recall old information

Ex.) Forgetting an old password after consistently using a new one

Tip-of-the-Tongue Phenomenon

Knowing that you know something, but being unable to recall it at the moment

Ex.) struggling to recall a familiar word or name

Psychodyanmic Psychology

Branch of psychology rooted in the ideas of Sigmund Freud, believing in the impact of the unconsciously mind and its motives on our behavior

Repression

According to psycho-dynamic theorists, some memories are forgotten to protect the ego from distress

Ex.) forgetting traumatic childhood events as a defense mechanism to avoid emotional pain 

Misinformation Effect

Incorporating misleading information into one’s memory of an event

Ex.) misremembering details of an accident after hearing incorrect accounts from others

Source Amnesia

Inability to remember where, when, or how previously learned information was acquired

Ex.) recalling a fact, but being unable to remember where you acquired it from

Constructive Memory

The idea that your brain actively rebuilds memories, not perfectly replaying them, resulting in inaccuracies and falsely added details

Memory Consolidation 

process by which memories become stable in the brain 

Imagination Inflation

Enhanced memory for imagine events, causing false memories

Ex.) Believing you experienced something that you dreamed about