PSYCH 425 EXAM #2 CH6

Explicit Memory

the conscious, intentional recollection of factual information, previous experiences, and concepts

Implicit Memory

procedural memory that alters performance based on previous experiences

Semantic memory

The storage of general world knowledge, facts, and concepts independent of personal experience

Episodic Memory

The recollection of specific personal experiences and events tied to a particular time and place

Procedural Memory

knowledge on how to do something

Retrieval

the constructive and context-sensitive process of accessing stored information from long-term memory and bringing it back into conscious awareness

Recall

Accessing information without explicit choices or full options present (such as writing an essay or answering a fill-in-the-blank question)

Free Recall

recalling information with no hints or clues

Ex: “Tell me everything about _______”

Recognition

Identifying previously learned information after encountering it again (such as answering a multiple-choice question or spotting a familiar face)

Prospective Memory

the cognitive ability to remember to execute a planned action or intention at a specific time or in response to a certain cue in the future

Interference

a memory phenomenon where some memories or pieces of information get in the way of storing or retrieving other memories

Consolidation

the biological and cognitive process that transforms fragile, short-term memories (lasting only seconds to minutes) into durable, stable long-term memories

Hippocampus

It converts short-term memories into long-term declarative memories (facts and events).

Autobiographical memory

a psychological system that combines episodic memory (personal experiences tied to specific times and places) and semantic memory (general facts and knowledge about one's life) to create a coherent story of who you are

Experiment to demonstrate Level of Processing Effect

Craik & Tulving, 1975: participants were given a series of words then asked questions about said words

Physical: “was the word printed in capital letters?”

Auditory: “does the word rhyme with ____?”

Semantic meaning: “Would this word fit into this sentence?”

People generally do best with meaning questions, then auditory, then physical

Maintenance rehearsal

information is repeatedly spoken, thought about, or reviewed to keep it active in short-term or working memory

Elaborative rehearsal / encoding

is a cognitive memory strategy that moves information from short-term memory into long-term memory by actively thinking about its meaning rather than just repeating it

(linking new information to information you already know)

Shallow processing

a cognitive process where information is analyzed based on its superficial, surface-level features rather than its meaning or context

Deep Processing

a cognitive learning and memory strategy where you focus on the meaning of information rather than its superficial physical or acoustic qualities

Incidental Learning

any unplanned, indirect, or accidental acquisition of knowledge or skills that happens as a by-product of another activity or everyday exposure

Intentional learning

an active, goal-directed approach where a person takes deliberate ownership of their own knowledge and skills. Unlike incidental learning—where information is picked up passively or by chance—intentional learning treats everyday tasks, challenges, and experiences as structured opportunities to grow.

Spacing effect

the psychological finding that long-term memory and retention improve significantly when learning events or study sessions are distributed over time rather than massed together in a single, continuous session

Serial position curve

a U-shaped graph that shows how well a person can remember items from a list depending on where those items sat in the sequence

Primacy Effect

a psychological and cognitive bias where people tend to remember and give more weight to the first piece of information they encounter in a sequence compared to information received later

Recency Effect

people best remember and recall the most recently presented information or final items in a sequence

Bizarreness effect

a cognitive tendency where people remember unusual, strange, or implausible information better than ordinary or common information

Method of loci

attaching points/ideas to objects on a walk and remembering it by “walking through the garden” in your mind

Testing Effect (Self-Reference Effect)

a psychological phenomenon where actively pulling information out of your memory

Encoding Specificity

memory retrieval is most successful when the conditions and context present at the time of recall match those that were present when the memory was originally encoded

Transfer-appropriate processing

a memory principle stating that recall is most successful when the cognitive processes used during encoding (learning) match the processes required during retrieval (testing or use), rather than relying on "depth of processing" alone