AP Psych 7-1 vocab

Encoding

Getting information into the memory system

Storage

Retain encoded information over time for later recall

Retrieval

Pulling information out of storage and making it available

Sensory Memory

Immediate recording of sensory information in the memory system

Short-Term Memory

The conscious part of the memory system that you are aware of at any given time

Long-Term Memory

The relatively permanent and limitless storehouse of the memory system

Working Memory

a newer term that describes what occurs during short-term memory

Parallel Processing

Processing many aspects of a problem simultaneously

Automatic Processing

Transferring information from STM to LTM with little effort or awareness

Effortful Processing

Transferring information from STM to LTM through conscious effort

Spacing Effect

the tendency for distributed study working better than massed study

Serial Position Effect

Our tendency to recall best the last and first items in a list

Visual Encoding

The process of remembering visual images

Acoustic Encoding

The processing and encoding of sound

Semantic Encoding

Processing an experience or fact based on its meaning rather than its details

Mnemonics

Memory aids, especially those techniques that use vivid imagery and organizational devices

Chunking

Organizing items into familiar, manageable units

Iconic Memory

A momentary sensory memory of visual stimuli

Echoic Memory

A momentary sensory memory of auditory stimuli

Consolidation

Process by which relatively permanent memories are formed in the brain

Elaborative Rehearsal

links new information with existing memories and knowledge in LTM

Maintenance Rehearsal

intentionally repeating information to prolong its presence in STM 

Primacy Effect

better recall of information presented at the beginning of a task

Recency Effect

The ability to better recall information presented at the end of a task

Pseudo-memories

False memories that a person believes to be real or accurate