Chapter 1: Intro to the Study of Memory

Savings Score

the reduction in the amount of time required to relearn the list

Forgetting Curve

A graph that traces the decline of memory performance over time. Forgetting happens rapidly at first, but tested later the rate of forgetting declined

Experiment

set of observations that occur under controlled circumstances determined by the experimenter.

Independent Variable

the factors that the experimenter manipulates across different conditions.

Dependent Variable

the observations that we measure or record in response to the independent variable.

Random Assignment

any particular person is equally likely to be assigned to any of the conditions

Double-Blind Procedure

neither the tester nor the participant knows what condition the participant is in.

Free Recall

A person must generate memories with minimal or no cuing of the memories

Cued Recall

A person is given a specific cue and must generate a target memory that corresponds to that cue.

Recognition

Person must identify the target memory from among a set of presented item(s).

Implicit Memory

long term memory used automatically/without conscious effort

Reaction Time

The measured amount of time required to perform a particular task.

Source Judgements

Our attributions of where or from whom we learned something

Reality Monitoring

Our ability to distinguish whether our memory is of a real or an imagined event.

Metamemory

Our knowledge and awareness of our own memory processes.