AP Psychology Memory Terms

Metacognition

Metacognition

Thinking about our own thought process.

Maintenance (Rehearsal)

A type of Rehearsal that involves Simple Repetition in order to keep information in the Short Term Memory.

Elaborative (Rehearsal)

A type of Rehearsal that involves Adding Meaning to concepts or putting them in Context.

Distributed (Rehearsal)

A type of Rehearsal that involves Spreading Out the rehearsal over a long period of time which allows for Deeper Processing of information.

Self Referencing

Applying a memory to Your Own Life so that you're more likely to remember it.

Infantile Amnesia

The phenomenon where memories before the Age of 2 or 3 are generally forgotten.

Schema

A Framework we have in our heads for what we expect something to be based on our prior experiences.

Serial Position Effect

The phenomenon where the Placement of items in a Series affects recollection.

Primacy (Effect)

A type of Serial Positioning Effect where the items at the Beginning of the series are More Likely to be remembered.

Recency (Effect)

A type of Serial Positioning Effect where the items at the End of a series are More Likely to be remembered.

Chunking

The act of Grouping together items that are similar to remember them better.

Constructive (Memory)

The Creation of a False Memory that is often congruent with a schema.

Information Processing (Model)

This Model of memory involves the Three Stages: Encoding, Storage, and Retrieval.

Tip of (the) Tongue

A type of Retrieval Error where you Know you know something, but cannot come up with the word for it.

Recall(ing)

The act of Retrieving something from memory Without Cues.

Recognition

The act of Pointing Out the correct item from a group of Many Items and Cues.

Atkinson Shiffrin (Model)

A Model of Memory Storage with Three Bins - Sensory, Short Term, and Long Term.

Sensory (Memory)

The Most Fleeting type of Memory that intakes virtually Everything you Sense (AKA Sensory Register).

Echoic (Memory)

A type of Sensory Memory that holds anything you Hear for 3-4 Seconds.

Iconic (Memory)

A type of Sensory Memory that holds anything you See for .5 Seconds.

Attention

Memory requires __________________ in order to be Encoded.

Short Term (Memory)

The Memory Bin that holds anything that was Attended To for about 20 - 30 Seconds.

STM Magic Number

The Number that describes How Many Items can be kept in Short Term Memory at once (7 +/- 2).

Eidetic (Memory)

A Rare Memory Ability where someone can look at a scene and store it in their head in Extreme Detail for Weeks or more. (AKA Photographic Memory).

Long Term (Memory)

A type of Memory that stores anything Rehearsed Enough to move Out of Short Term Memory.

Episodic (Memory)

A type of Long Term Memory for a Specific Event/Occasion in your life.

Flashbulb (Memory)

A type of Episodic Memory that is Vivid, Highly Emotional and sometimes Shared With Others.

Amygdala

Flashbulb Memories are linked most closely with Which Brain Structure?

Procedural (Memory)

A type of Long Term Memory for Mechanical, Automatic Behaviors.

Cerebellum

Procedural Memories are linked most closely with Which Brain Structure?

Semantic (Memory)

A type of Long Term Memory for Information and Facts.

Explicit (Memory)

A type of Long Term Memory that you can Declare/Bring Up.

Implicit (Memory)

A type of Long Term Memory that Does Not require Conscious Recall - it's Automatic.

Explicit (Memories)

Episodic and Semantic memories would be examples of ________________(Explicit/Implicit) Memories.

Implicit (Memories)

Procedural memories would be examples of ________________(Explicit/Implicit) Memories.

Long Term Potentiation

The phenomenon where the More You Use a certain Neural Pathway the More Dendrites sprout and the Stronger it becomes.

Context Dependent (Memory)

The phenomenon where you will remember something Better if you are in the Same Environment in which you Learned it due to Retrieval Cues.

State Dependent (Memory)

The phenomenon where you will recall something Better if you are in the Same Physiological state you where when you Learned It.

Mood Congruent (Memory)

During positive mood states, individuals will tend to retrieve pleasant memories, whereas during negative mood states, negative thoughts and associations will more likely come to mind.

Misinformation Effect

The phenomenon where you can Alter One's Memories by supplying them with Misleading or Inaccurate Information.

(Memory) Decay

The Loss of memories over time with diminishing reference to them.

(Ebbinghaus) Forgetting Curve

A model of Forgetting developed by Hermann Ebbinghaus that describes how Most Forgetting occurs within the First Few Hours, but over time usually 20-30% is Maintained.

Proactive (Interference)

A type of Memory Interference where something from the Past inhibits your attempts to recall More Recent Information.

Retroactive (Interference)

A type of Memory Interference where New Information works backwards to inhibit Older Memories.

Retrograde (Amnesia)

A type of Amnesia where some trauma or damage Works Backwards, erasing memories from the period Before The Trauma.

Anterograde (Amnesia)

A type of Amnesia where some trauma or damage inhibits the ability to Form New Memories.

Hippocampus

Anterograde Amnesia likely results from Damage to Which Brain Structure?

Deep (Processing)

A type of Processing in Encoding where you Consciously Add Meaning or make connections with absorbed information (Effortful).

Shallow (Processing)

A type of Processing in Encoding Without Consciously Adding Meaning when taking in new information (Automatic).

Elaborative (Rehearsal)

___________________(Elaborative/Maintenance) Rehearsal is the Most Effective type of rehearsal.

Method of Loci

A Mnemonic approach where you tie a set of Images/Locations to items in a list, and then simply Mentally Walking Through the space to recall the list (AKA Memory Palace).

Peg Word(s)

A Mnemonic approach where you have a Series of Words which you have memorized and associated an image with each one. Then you Recall the Images to bring back the words.

Spacing Effect

The phenomenon that Distributed Rehearsal is better than cramming last minute.

Hippocampus

The Brain Structure that is part of the Limbic System and is responsible for the Formation of New Memories.

Cerebellum

The Brain Structure located in the Hindbrain that is involved in memory for Conditioned Responses and Procedural Memories.

Amygdala

The Brain Structure in the Limbic System that plays a role in encoding Emotionally Charged Memories.

Acetylcholine

The Major Neurotransmitter responsible for encoding Memories.

Priming

________________ is when exposure to one Stimulus Influences response to Another, such as Cueing you to a certain Memory.

Source (Amnesia)

A type of Amnesia that is the inability to remember When, Where, or How previously learned information was acquired. It is an Error in Explicit Memory.

prospective memory

remembering to do something at some future time (i.e. your "to-do" list for the week)