ap psych ch 8 vocab

source misattribution

the inability to distinguish an actual memory of an event from information you learned elsewhere about the event

confabulation

confusion of an event that happened to someone else with one that happened to you, or a belief that you remember something when it never actually happened

explicit memory

conscious, intentional recollection of an event or of an item of information

recall

the ability to retrieve and reproduce from memory previously encountered material

recognition

the ability to identify previously encountered material

implicit memory

unconscious retention in memory, as evidenced by the effect of a previous experience or previously encountered information on current thoughts or actions

relearning method

a method for measuring retention that compares the time required to relearn material with the time used in the initial learning of the material

priming

a method for measuring implicit memory in which a person reads or listens to information and is later tested to see whether the information affects performance on another type of task

parallel distributed processing (PDP)

a model of memory in which knowledge is represented as connections among thousands of interacting processing units, distributed in a vast network, and all operating in parallel

sensory register

a memory system that momentarily preserves extremely accurate sensory information before the information fades or moves into short-term memory

short-term memory (STM)

in the three-box model of memory, a limited capacity memory system involved in the retention of information for brief periods; it is also used to hold information retrieved from long-term memory for temporary use

working memory

short-term memory plus the mental processes that control retrieval of information from long-term memory and interpret that information appropriately for a given task

chunk

a meaningful unit of information; it may be composed of smaller units

long-term memory (LTM)

in the three-box model of memory, the memory system involved in the long-term storage of information

procedural memories

memories for the performance of actions or skills ("knowing how")

declarative memories

Memories of facts, rules, concepts, and events ("knowing that"); they include semantic and episodic memories

semantic memories

Memories of general knowledge, including facts, rules, concepts, and propositions

episodic memories

memories of personally experienced events and the contexts in which they occurred

serial-position effect

the tendency for recall of the first and last items on a list to surpass recall of items in the middle of the list

maintenance rehearsal

rote repetition of material in order to maintain its availability in memory

elaboritive rehearsal

association of new information with already stored knowledge and analysis of the new information to make it memorable

deep processing

in the encoding of information, the processing of meaning rather than simply the physical or sensory features of a stimulus

mnemonics

strategies and tricks for improving memory, such as the use of a verse or a formula

decay theory

the theory that information in memory eventually disappears if it is not accessed; it applies better to short-term than to long-term memory

retroactive interference

forgetting that occurs when recently learned material interferes with the ability to remember similar material stored previously

proactive interference

forgetting that occurs when previously stored material interferes with the ability to remember similar, more recently learned material

cue-dependent forgetting

the inability to retrieve information stored in memory because of insufficient cues for recall

state-dependent memory

the tendency to remember something when the rememberer is in the same physical or mental state as during the original learning or experience

amnesia

the partial or complete loss of memory for important personal information

repression

in psychoanalytic theory, the involuntary pushing of threatening or upsetting information into the unconscious

childhood (infantile) amnesia

the inability to remember events and experiences that occurred during the first two or three years of life.