Psych memory

Semantic Memory

Memory for facts and general knowledge, not personal experiences.

Episodic Memory

Memory for personal experiences and events.

Procedural Memory

Memory for skills and actions, or how to do things.

Explicit Memory

Memory that requires conscious recall, including episodic and semantic.

Implicit Memory

Memory that does not require conscious awareness, includes procedural and priming.

Autobiographical Memory

Memory of your own life experiences.

Superior Autobiographical Memory

A rare ability to remember extremely detailed personal life events.

Sensory Memory

The briefest memory stage, holding incoming sensory information.

Iconic Memory

Visual sensory memory that lasts about ½ second.

Echoic Memory

Auditory sensory memory that lasts 3–4 seconds.

Short-Term Memory (STM)

Brief storage of information lasting about 20–30 seconds, with limited capacity.

Working Memory

An active form of short-term memory where information is used and manipulated.

Working Memory Model

Explains how short-term memory actively processes information.

Central Executive

Controls attention and coordinates other parts of working memory.

Phonological Loop

Handles sounds and spoken words in working memory.

Visuospatial Sketchpad

Handles visual images and spatial information in working memory.

Multi-Store Model

Model stating memory flows from sensory to short-term to long-term through rehearsal.

Long-Term Memory (LTM)

Relatively permanent storage of information.

Automatic Processing

Encoding information without effort, such as time or space.

Effortful Processing

Encoding information that requires attention and effort.

Structural Processing

Encoding based on appearance, considered shallow.

Phonemic Processing

Encoding based on sound.

Semantic Processing

Encoding based on meaning, considered the deepest and best.

Mnemonic Devices

Memory aids that use imagery or organization.

Method of Loci

Associating information with specific physical locations.

Chunking

Grouping information into meaningful units.

Categorization

Organizing information into groups.

Hierarchy

Organizing information from broad to specific.

Spacing Effect

Learning is better when study sessions are distributed over time.

Mass Practice

Studying all at once, also known as cramming.

Distributed Practice

Studying over time, which is better for memory retention.

Testing Effect

Retrieval practice improves long-term memory.

Memory Consolidation

Process of converting short-term memory into long-term memory.

Long-Term Potentiation (LTP)

Strengthening of neural connections after repeated use.

Serial Position Effect

Tendency to remember the first and last items best.

Primacy Effect

Better recall of items presented early.

Recency Effect

Better recall of items presented recently.

Maintenance Rehearsal

Repeating information to keep it in short-term memory.

Elaborative Rehearsal

Linking new information to meaningful concepts for better retention.

Recall

Retrieving information without cues.

Recognition

Identifying information with the help of cues.

Retrieval

Getting information out of memory storage.

Encoding Specificity Principle

Recall is best when encoding and retrieval conditions match.

Context-Dependent Memory

Better recall when in the same environment where encoding occurred.

State-Dependent Memory

Better recall when in the same physical state as during encoding.

Mood-Congruent Memory

Recall information that matches your mood during encoding.

Forgetting Curve

Memory is lost rapidly at first, then levels off.

Encoding Failure

Information was never encoded and thus cannot be recalled.

Source Amnesia

Forgetting the origin of information.

Imagination Inflation

Imagining an event makes it feel real.

Constructive Memory

Memory that is rebuilt rather than exact.

Proactive Interference

Old memories interfere with new ones.

Retroactive Interference

New memories interfere with old ones.

Tip-of-the-Tongue Phenomenon

Feeling that you know something but cannot retrieve it.

Misinformation Effect

Memory is distorted by misleading information.

Repression

Unconsciously pushing threatening memories into the unconscious mind.

Retrograde Amnesia

Loss of memories prior to brain damage.

Anterograde Amnesia

Inability to form new memories due to hippocampus damage.

Alzheimer’s Disease

Progressive brain disorder causing memory loss and cognitive decline.

Infantile Amnesia

Inability to remember early childhood experiences.

Prospective Memory

Remembering to do something in the future.

Metacognition

Thinking about how you learn and remember.

Frontal Lobes

Involved in working memory, retrieval, and organization.

Hippocampus

Involved in the formation of new declarative memories.

Cerebellum

Involved in procedural and motor memories.

Basal Ganglia

Involved in habit and skill learning.

Amygdala

Involved in emotional memory formation.