Explicit Memory
Memory that clearly and distinctly expresses specific information.
Episodic memory
memory of events that happen to a person or that take place I the person’s presence
Semantic memory
general knowledge
Implicit memory
memory that is implied but not plainly expressed
Priming
the activation of specific associations in memory, often as a result of repetition and without making a conscious effort to access memory.
Retrospective memory
memory for past events, activities, and learning experiences, as shown by explicit and implicit memories
Prospective memory
memory to perform an act in the future, as at a certain time or when a certain event occurs
Encoding, storage, retrieval
stages of memory
Encode
Modifies information so that it can be placed in memory
storage
the maintenance of information over time
maintenance rehearsal
mental repetition of information to keep it in memory
elaborative rehearsal
the kind of coding in which new information is related to information that is already known
retrieval
the location of stored information and its return to consciousness
memory
the processes by which information is encoded, stored, and retrieved
sensory memory
the type or stage of memory first encountered by a stimulus; sensory memory holds impressions briefly, but long enough so that series of perceptions are psychologically continuous
memory trace
an assumed change in the nervous system that reflects the impression made by a stimulus
icon
a mental representation of a visual stimulus that is held briefly in sensory memory
iconic memory
the sensory register that briefly holds mental representations of visual stimuli
eidetic imagery
the maintenance of detailed visual memories over several minutes
echo
a mental representation of an auditory stimulus (sound) that is held briefly in sensory memory
echoic memory
the sensory register that briefly holds mental representations of auditory stimuli
short-term memory / working memory
the type or stage of memory that can hold information for up to a minute or so after the trace of the stimulus decays
serial-position effect
the tendency to recall more accurately the first and last items in a series
chunk
a stimulus or group of stimuli that are perceived as a discrete piece of information
displace
in memory theory, to cause information to be lost from short-term memory by adding new information
long term memory
the type or stage of memory capable of relatively permanent storage
repression
in Freud’s psychodynamic theory, the ejection of anxiety-evoking ideas from conscious awareness
schemas
a way of mentally representing the world, such as a belief or an expectation, that can influence perception of persons, objects, and situations
tip-of-the-tongue phenomenon / the feeling-of-knowing experience
the feeling that information is stored in memory although it cannot be really retrieved
context-dependent memory
information that is better retrieved in the context in which it was encoded and stored, or learned
state-dependent memory
information that is better retrieved in the physiological or emotional state in which it was encoded and stored, or learned
nonsense syllables
meaningless sets of two consonants, with a vowel sandwiched in between, that are used to study memory
paired associates
nonsense syllables presented in pairs in experiments that measure recall
method of savings
a measure of retention, in which the difference between the number of repetitions originally required to learn a list and the number of repetitions required to relearn the list after a certain amount of time has elapsed
savings
the difference between the number of repetitions originally required to learn a list and the number of repetitions required to learn the list after. certain amount of time has elapsed
interference theory
the view that we may forget stored material because other learning interferes with it
retroactive interference
the interference of new learning with the ability to retrieve material learned previously
proactive interference
the interference by old learning with the ability to retrieve material learned recently
dissociative amnesia
loss of memory of personal information that is thought to stem from psychological conflict or trauma
infantile amnesia / childhood amnesia
inability to recall events that occur prior to the age of three or so
hippocampus
a structure in the limbic system that plays an important role in the formation of new memories
anterograde amnesia
failure to remember events that occurred after physical trauma because of the effects of the trauma
retrograde amnesia
failure to remember events that occurred prior to physical trauma because of the effects of the trauma
engram
an assumed electrical circuit in the brain that corresponds to a memory trace
long term potentiation
enhanced efficiency in synaptic transmission that follows brief, rapid stimulation