memory terms - psychology

psychology

input

the first stage of information processing—receiving information through the senses

central processing

the second stage of information processing—storing and sorting info in the brain

output

the final stage of information processing

selective attention

choosing specific things to pay attention to

feature extraction

the identification and analysis of specific elements of a sensory input, choosing specific aspects of chosen item

sensory storage

brief memory storage immediately following initial reception of a stimulus

short-term memory

storage that only stores memories if repeated

George Miller

experimenter who helped better understand sensory storage

rehearsal

the process of repeating something over and over to remember it better

chunking

putting items together to make one item in order to remember easier

long-term memory

memory that stores items indefinitely

retrieval

the process of obtaining information that has been stored in memory

recognition

a cognitive process that involves identifying and confirming previously encountered information or stimuli

recall

the memory retrieval in which a person is required to identify an object, idea , or situation as one they have not experienced before

confabulation

the act of filling in memory with statements that make sense but are actually untrue

eidetic memory

aka total recall, the ability to reconstruct images, sounds, or events in great detail, as if you can still see them in your mind

relearning

implicit memory, learning previously learned things

proactive interference

when an earlier memory blocks a more recent memory

retroactive interference

when a later memory blocks a more recent memory

mnemonic devices

a technique used for associations to memorize info

image

a mental representation of a specific event or object

symbol

a sound or design that represents an object or quality

concept

used as a label for a class of objects or events with certain common attributes

directed thinking

a systematic and logical attempt to reach a specific goal

nondirected thinking

consists of a free flow of thoughts with no particular goal or plan & depends more on images

metacognition

thinking about thinking, the awareness of ones cognitive processes

strategies

specific methods for approaching problems

set

when a particular strategy becomes a habit

creativity

the ability to use information in such a way that the result is somehow new, original, & meaningful

flexibility

the ability to overcome rigidity

recombination

a new mental arrangement of the elements of a problem

insight

the sudden emergence of a solution by recombination of elements

rule

the most complex unit of thought, a statement of a relation between concepts