Psych 1101: Memory

Exam 2

Memory

Ability to store, retain, and retrieve information over time

Encoding

Information is acquired and processed; Information is moved from short-term to long-term memory; Elaboration occurs during this process

Elaboration

Making connections between new information and pre-existing information in memory

Sensory Memory

Stores sensory information (what you see, hear, feel, etc); stores info very accurately; lasts only a few seconds

Working (Short-Term) Memory

Holds information temporarily while we use it to preform tasks; info held for 15-25 w/o rehearsal; Most people can hold 5-9 pieces of info

Long-Term Memory

Permanent memory storage; Unlimited/unknown capacity; Memories here thought to be organized into semantic networks

Explicit Memory (definition)

Conscious memory

Types of Explicit Memory

Episodic and Semantic

Episodic Memory

Memories of events from your life

Semantic Memory

Memory of facts and information

Implicit Memory (definition)

Unconscious Memory

Types of Implicit Memory

Procedural and Classical Conditioning

Procedural Memory

Memory for preforming tasks or actions (“muscle memory”)

Classical Conditioning

“Emotional Memory”; Memory for emotional associations with objects

Types of Retrieval

Recall and Recognition

Recall

Remembering without cues (no prompts or reminders); Free response question

Recognition

Remembering with cues (a prompt or reminder); Multiple choice question

Serial Position Effect (Primacy and Recency)

Items placed at beginning (primacy) and end (recency) of a list are better remembered

Amnesia

Loss of memory generally caused by trauma (damage or disease)

Retrograde Amnesia

Inability to remember events that occurred prior to the trauma

Anterograde Amnesia

Inability to remember new information; Only episodic and Semantic memory are affected; Can still learn new skills through repetition

Blackouts

Complete lack of memory during a time of intoxication; Anterograde amnesia caused by a lack of encoding

False Memory

Memory of something that did not actually occur/a distorted memory of something that did occur; Result of memory being reconstructive

Reconstructive Memory

Every time you remember something, your brain rebuilds the memory using context clues (which can change over time); Why eyewitness testimony is unreliable

Chunking

Grouping information to increase memory capacity/make information easier to remember

Rehearsal

Frequently going over/repeating information leads to less forgetting

Elaborative Rehearsal

Repeating information while drawing connections to other ideas or concepts you already know

Mnemonics

Memory aids that make associations between seemingly unrelated topics

Photographic Memory

Ability to recall information (like a textbook page) with photographic precision. No evidence of being real.

Eidetic Memory

Being able to hold a picture in your mind in great detail (as though it were in front of you); Only lasts a few minutes; Very rare in children, rarer in adults

Method of Loci

Using a mental location as a mnemonic to remember information; “Mind Palace”

Flashbulb Memory

A vivid, long-lasting memory about a surprising or shocking event. A type of episodic memory.