AP Psychology Memory

Mrs. Weck AP Psych 2025-26

Explicit Memory

The memory of facts & experiences

Episodic Memory

Remembering personal experiences & events

ex: remembering your 21st birthday party

Semantic Memory

Remembering general facts & knowledge

ex: the capital of France is Paris

Implicit Memory

A type of memory that doesn’t require conscious effort or thought to perform actions

ex: once a person has learned how to type, they don’t need to remember where each letter is on the keyboard, they just type automatically.

Procedural Memory

A type of (implicit) memory that involves remembering how to perform skills automatically

ex: A professional basketball player has made so many shots that he doesn’t need to focus on his technique to make baskets

Prospective Memory

Remembering to do an action that you have planned for the future

ex: You take medicine 3 times a day, so you remember to take your pills at breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

Long-Term Potentiation

The long-lasting increase in signal transmission between neurons as a result from their simultaneous activations

Working Memory Model

A theory for short-term memory that explains how information is temporarily stored & processed

Working Memory

A form of short-term memory used for temporarily holding & manipulating information

Central Executive

The “control center” of working memory that coordinates the other parts & decides what to focus on or ignore

Phonological Loop

Responsible for storing verbal & auditory information

ex: You’re going shopping, so you repeat your grocery list out loud to remember it.

Visuospatial Sketchpad

Responsible for storing visual & spatial info

ex: You’re travelling around a new city without a GPS, so you mentally map the new area’s landmarks to not get lost.

Multi-Store Model

Describes memory as a 3-part system that includes sensory memory, short-term memory, & long-term memory

Sensory Memory

The initial stage of memory where sensory information is stored for a very brief period of time

Iconic Memory

Responsible for briefly holding visual images

Echoic Memory

Responsible for briefly holding auditory information

Short-Term Memory

The second stage of memory where a temporary storage system that holds a small amount of information (typically about 15–30 seconds)

Long-Term Memory

The final stage of memory where unlimited information is stored indefinitely.