Ch. 6 Memory

Terms/theories/concepts

Sensory Memory

Information from the senses is held for a brief period of time

Iconic

Information stored in the visual register, remains there for less than a second constantly being replaced with new information in a process called masking.

Echoic

The information stored in the auditory register, remains there for a few seconds, makes speech comprehension possible.

Chunking

Grouping and organizing information so that it fits into meaningful units. Improves capacity of STM.

Anne Treisman

Modified the filtering theory, filter as a variable control like a radio volume dial rather than an on/off switch.

STM - Short term memory (Working Memory)

Information is held for brief periods of time while being used. Holds information we are thinking about or are aware of at any given moment in time.

Elaborative Rehearsal

Transferring information from STM into LTM (Long term memory) by making that information meaningful in some way. (Mnemonics - Patterns of letters/ideas/associations that assists in remembering)

Serial Position Effect

When given a list of items to remember, people tend to do better at recalling the first items and the last items in the list. They all tend to do poorest of all on the items in the middle of the list.

Declarative memory

Explicit memory: Facts, general knowledge, and events experienced by a person.

Nondeclarative Memory

Implicit memory: Skills, procedures, habits, and conditioned behavioral or emotional responses. (Muscle memory)

Encoding Specificity

Memory improved if related information is available from when memory was first formed.

Context-Dependent learning

Physical environment retrieval clue (going to the scene of the crime to get better eye witness statements)

State-Dependent Learning

Physiological or psychological retrieval cue. (you chew gum while studying so you chew gum while taking the test.)

Proactive Interference

Old information interferes with new information

Retroactive Interference

New information interferes with old information

Automatic Encoding

Tendency of certain kinds of information to enter long-term memory with little or no effortful encoding.

Flashbulb Memories

Automatic encoding that occurs because and an unexpected event has strong emotional associations for the person remembering it.

Long-term potentiation

Changes in number and sensitivity of receptor sites/synapses through repeated stimulation.

Hippocampus

Area of the brain responsible for the formation of new long-term declarative memories.