PSYC 100 units 8-9

Memory

The capacity to store and retrieve knowledge.

The three stages of memory

1. Encoding: the process of acquiring information and transferring it into memory;

2. Storage: retention of information for later access;

3. Retrieval: recovery of stored information.

Encoding

The process of acquiring information and transferring it into memory.

Storage

Retention of information for later access.

Retrieval

The recovery of stored information.

Multistore model of memory

Model proposing that sensory information flows through three stores (sensory memory, short-term memory, long-term memory) differing in capacity and duration.

Sensory memory

A large capacity, very brief duration, sense-specific storage of information (e.g., visual, auditory).

Iconic memory

Sensory memory for visual information.

Echoic memory

Sensory memory for auditory information.

Short-term memory

The second stage of the multistore model, characterized by brief duration and small capacity.

Chunking

The process of grouping similar or meaningful information together in memory.

Working memory

An extension of short-term memory that involves the active manipulation of multiple types of information simultaneously.

Phonological loop

The working memory component responsible for verbal and auditory information.

Rehearsal

The act of repeating information to keep it in short-term memory.

Visuo-spatial sketchpad

A component of working memory that holds visual and spatial information.

Central executive

The component of working memory that directs the other components by focusing attention on particular tasks.

Long term memory

Can be held for hours to many years and potentially a lifetime, with no clearly defined limits in capacity or duration.

Serial position effect

The phenomenon where recall varies as a function of an item's position within a study list.

Primacy effect

Better recall for items at the beginning of a list.

Recency effect

Better recall for items at the end of a list.

Anterograde amnesia

Inability to form new long-term memories.

Retrograde amnesia

Inability to access memories formed before brain damage.

Levels of processing theory

The idea that the depth of processing impacts memory retention, with deeper processing leading to better retention.

Deep encoding

Making associations between new information and existing knowledge.

Shallow encoding

Encoding based on sensory characteristics, such as appearance or sound.

Self-referential encoding

A type of deep processing where information is related to oneself.

Memory impairments in HM

Demonstrated that some forms of long-term memory are not reliant on the hippocampus.

Explicit memory

Intentional, conscious memory.

Implicit memory

Unconscious memory that occurs without intentional recollection.

Procedural memory

A type of implicit memory related to the acquisition of skills.

Priming

The change in response to a stimulus as a result of prior exposure to a related stimulus.

Retrospective memory

Memory that allows you to recall past experiences.

Prospective memory

Memory for tasks that need to be executed in the future.

Episodic memory

Memory of personal experiences and specific events.

Semantic memory

Explicit memory of facts and knowledge about the world.

Affective conditioning

Implicit conditioning where a neutral stimulus becomes associated with an emotionally charged stimulus.

Hebbian learning

The principle that neurons that fire together wire together.

Long-term potentiation (LTP)

A process where synaptic connections become stronger with increased stimulation.

CREB

A protein that activates genes needed for strengthening connections between brain cells during LTP.

Memory consolidation

The process that stabilizes and strengthens a memory trace after its initial acquisition.

Memory reconsolidation

The process of destabilizing and updating memory when it is recalled.

Spreading activation model of memory

A model where memory is organized in associative networks, with activation of one node facilitating retrieval of related nodes.

Retrieval cue

A stimulus or thought that primes a particular memory for retrieval.

Free recall

Accessing information from memory without cues.

Cued recall

Retrieval of information facilitated by providing related information.

Retroactive interference

The disruptive effect of new learning on the recall of old information.

Proactive interference

The disruptive effect of prior learning on the recall of new information.

Encoding specificity principle

The principle that retrieval works best when the encoding context matches the retrieval context.

State-dependent retrieval

Increased likelihood of remembering when in the same state during encoding and retrieval.

Mood-dependent retrieval

Increased likelihood of remembering when in the same mood during encoding and retrieval.

Encoding failure

The inability to transfer information into long-term memory.

Weapons focus effect

The phenomenon where a witness's attention is drawn to a weapon, impairing the ability to remember other details of a crime.

Flashbulb memory

A vivid and detailed memory of an emotional event.

Constructive memory

The active process of building and reconstructing memories, influenced by knowledge and beliefs.

Misinformation effect

When post-event information alters the recall of the original event.

Source memory

Recall of the context and origin of a memory.

Source amnesia

When a person cannot remember the source of their memory.

Source monitoring

The process of determining the origins of a memory.

Imagination inflation

The increase in confidence that a fictional event happened after vividly imagining it.

Gist memory

The general understanding or main idea of an event.

Verbatim memory

The specific details of an event.

Dees-Roediger-McDermott false memory paradigm

A method used to demonstrate how easily false memories can be created through semantic associations.

Motive

An internal force that drives individuals to act in certain ways.

Instinct

Innate motivational forces that do not require learning.

Homeostasis

The process by which organisms maintain stable internal conditions despite external changes.

Drive-reduction theory of motivation

The theory that drives create tension necessitating activities to restore homeostasis.

Value of pain

Pain serves to alert individuals to potential injury and motivates protective actions.

Sensory components of pain

Specific information about the nature of pain.

Affective components of pain

The motivational response to the sensation of pain.

Pain matrix

A network of brain regions involved in the experience of pain, which also influences motivated behavior.

Reward

Something desirable that can motivate behavior and serves as a reinforcer.

Wanting vs. Liking

Wanting is the motivation to seek a reward, while liking is the pleasure derived from receiving the reward.

Alliesthesia

The idea that the reward value of a stimulus increases with its effectiveness in restoring homeostasis.

Interconnection between pain and reward processes

Dopamine is associated with wanting and opioids with liking, illustrating the overlap between pain and pleasure.

Behavioral perspective on love and attachment

Infants develop attachments based on reward associations with caregivers.

Harry Harlow's contribution

Demonstrated that contact comfort is essential for attachment, challenging behaviorist views based solely on physical needs.

John Bowlby's attachment theory

Argues that attachment behaviors in infants are evolutionary adaptations for survival.

Brain opioid theory of attachment

Suggests that attachment feelings are associated with fluctuating levels of opioids in the brain.

Glucostatic hypothesis

Proposes that low glucose levels motivate hunger.

Lipostatic hypothesis

Suggests long-term regulation of food intake based on fat storage levels.

Role of hypothalamus in appetite regulation

Hypothalamus regulates appetite through hunger and satiety signals.

Psychological factors in eating behaviors

Eating behaviors are influenced by social, cultural, and contextual factors.

Estrus

A period of heightened sexual receptivity and fertility in mammals.

Attachment and sexual systems relationship

Interconnected due to evolutionary advantages of bonding and cooperative parental care.

Concealed ovulation

The lack of visible signs of ovulation to secure male investment.

Leaky cues of ovulation in humans

Subtle cues such as scent variation indicate fertility, influencing behavior in partners.

Role of estrogen and testosterone in sexuality

Estrogen is related to increased sexual desire in females, while testosterone relates to sexual interest in males.

Achievement motivation

The desire to excel or outperform others.

Approach motivation

The tendency to seek out desired rewards.

Avoidance motivation

The tendency to evade undesirable stimuli.

Performance orientation

Focuses on demonstrating ability and avoiding failure.

Mastery orientation

Focuses on learning and self-improvement.

Fixed mindset

The belief that intelligence is static.

Growth mindset

The belief that intelligence can be developed through effort.

Maslow's hierarchy of needs

A model categorizing human needs in a hierarchical order, from physiological to self-actualization.

Hierarchical organization of motives

Motives are arranged in order of importance.

Emotion

A complex reaction pattern to personally relevant events, comprising experiential, behavioral, and physiological components.

James-Lange theory of emotion

The idea that emotions arise from the perception of physiological changes.

Cannon-Bard theory of emotion

Argues that emotional experience and physiological responses occur simultaneously.

Schachter-Singer theory of emotion

Suggests that emotion is based on the interpretation of physiological responses and contextual cues.