Encoding and Retrieval in Episodic Memory

A set of vocabulary flashcards reviewing key concepts, empirical studies, and theoretical principles of encoding and retrieval in episodic memory.

Episodic Memory

Long-term declarative memory for single personal events that occurred at a specific place and time.

Semantic Memory

Long-term declarative memory for general facts, concepts, and world knowledge where the specific time and place of learning are irrelevant.

Voss & Paller (2007) Squiggle Study

An experiment demonstrating that computer-generated shapes rated high in meaningfulness achieved an $82\%$ recognition rate, compared to $46\%$ for shapes rated low in meaningfulness.

Carmichael, Hogan, & Walter (1932) Experiment

A study showing that presenting biased verbal descriptions alongside ambiguous visual figures led subjects to distort their drawings during recall to match the provided verbal labels.

Dual Coding Theory

A theoretical framework proposing that concrete words are remembered better than abstract words because concrete terms are stored using both general semantic meaning and mental imagery.

Gist Memory

Memory for the overall semantic meaning or substance of an event or sentence, which is retained significantly better over time than exact verbatim surface form.

Verbatim Memory

Memory for the exact surface form, specific phrasing, or precise visual details of presented stimuli.

Intentional Study

A study condition where participants are explicitly informed before seeing the material that there will be an upcoming memory test.

Incidental Study

A study condition where participants are not informed about an upcoming memory test until after they have finished completing the study task.

Hyde & Jenkins (1973) Experiment

A study showing that deep semantic study tasks (such as rating pleasantness) yield superior recall performance regardless of whether learning was intentional or incidental.

Shallow Processing

In Levels of Processing theory, encoding focused on superficial physical or orthographic features of stimuli, which results in poor long-term memory retention.

Deep Processing

In Levels of Processing theory, elaborative encoding that focuses on meaning and integration with prior knowledge, leading to strong long-term memory traces.

Self-Reference Effect

The enhancement of memory retrieval achieved when individuals process target items by assessing whether the words apply directly to themselves.

Positive Decision

In semantic encoding tasks, a study trial where the answer to a question is 'yes', leading to stronger semantic integration and higher recognition accuracy than a 'no' decision.

Negative Decision

In semantic encoding tasks, a study trial where the answer to a question is 'no', resulting in less semantic integration and lower recognition performance.

Bower (1969) Mineral Taxonomy

An experiment demonstrating that organizing words into structured hierarchical categories resulted in $65\%$ recall compared to $18\%$ recall for randomized presentation.

Morris, Bransford, & Franks (1977) Experiment

A study challenging Levels of Processing by showing that rhyming encoding leads to higher performance than semantic encoding when the retrieval task is a rhyme recognition test.

Transfer-Appropriate Processing (TAP)

The principle stating that memory performance is optimal when the cognitive operations performed during retrieval match the mental processes executed during encoding.

Perceptual Identification Task

An implicit memory test requiring subjects to identify words degraded by visual noise, where performance is enhanced by earlier perceptual exposure (priming).

Kuo & Van Petten (2006) Study

An experiment demonstrating transfer-appropriate processing by showing that integrative encoding (color-congruity judgment) improves memory for object-color conjunctions compared to item-oriented encoding.

Encoding Specificity

The principle that memory traces incorporate specific context and processing operations present during study, affecting how retrieval cues interact with stored representations.

Godden & Baddeley (1975) Divers Experiment

A demonstration of environmental context-dependent memory showing that scuba divers recalled significantly more words when retrieval occurred in the same physical environment (on land vs. underwater) as encoding.

Alpha Context

Contextual factors, such as the physical room environment, that are completely unrelated to the internal meaning of the study material itself.

Beta Context

Contextual factors, such as semantic cues or emotional state, that actively modify or interact with the meaning of the studied material.

Goodwin et al. (1969) Alcohol Study

An investigation of pharmacological context-dependent memory showing that recall errors were lower when subjects maintained the same state (sober or intoxicated) during both encoding and testing.

Marian & Neisser Autobiographical Memory Experiment

A study showing language-dependent memory in bilingual Russian immigrants, who recalled more Russian-period memories when cued in Russian and more English-period memories when cued in English.

Mood-Congruent Memory

The phenomenon where memory retrieval is enhanced for information whose emotional valence matches the individual's current mood state.

Mood-Dependent Memory

Superior memory performance that occurs when an individual's emotional mood state during testing matches their emotional mood state during initial encoding.

Eich & Metcalfe (1989) Experiment

A study demonstrating mood-dependent memory when participants actively generate study items rather than passively reading them during encoding.