Unit 2: Memory, Encoding Memories, Storing Memories, and Retrieving Them.

Memory

the persistence of learning over time through the encoding, storage, and retrieval of information

recall

retrieving information that is not in your conscious awareness

recognition

identifying items previously learned.

relearning

learning something more quickly when you learn it a second or later time.

Encoding

the process of committing information to memory

storage

the process of retaining information over time

retrieval

the process of getting information out of memory storage

Explicit or declarative memory

retention of facts and experiences that one can consciously know

Semantic memory

general knowledge

Episodic memory

memories of life events

implicit or non-declarative memory

involves retention of learned skills

procedural memory

how to do something memory

prospective memory

involves remembering to do something in the future

Long term potentiation

an increasing in cell firing after practicing something for a long time.

working memory

basically short term memory but is about adding incoming auditory and visual information, and of information retrieved from long term memory

Central Executive system

part of working memory. Controls attention and coordinates the phonological loop (handling auditory information) and the visuospatial sketchpad (processing visual and spatial information)

Three Stage Model of Memory

1. First record to-be-remembered information as a fleeting sensory memory

2. From there, we process information into short term memory, where we encode it through rehearsal

3. Information goes to long term memory for later retrieval

Effortful Processing

Requires attention and conscious effort to encode explicit memories

Automatic Processing

The unconscious encoding of incidental information.

Chunking

Organizing items into familiar, manageable units. Often occurs automatically

Spacing Effect

The tendency for distributed study (breaking periods of review over several days) to yield better long term retention than is achieved through mass practicing

Self Referent encoding

when information is meaningful to the individual, they are more likely to remember it

Serial position effect

our tendency to best remember the items at the beginning and end of a list

Recency effect

only remembering the end of the list

Primacy Effect

Only remembering the beginning of the list

Amnesia

memory loss often due to brain damage

Anterograde Amnesia

an inability to form new memories

Retrograde amnesia

an inability to recall past memories

Alzheimer’s Disease

Damage to the brain’s receptors

Context dependent memory

The activation of memory when one returns to the setting of the original encoding

State Dependent Memory

the tendency to recall experiences that are consistent with the state in which a person was at the time of encoding

Mood-Congruent Memory

the tendency to recall experiences that are consistent with one’s current good or bad mood

Testing Effect

Quizzing yourself or others to strengthen your brain’s ability to bring forth a memory

Meta cognition

Understanding how we think, remmeber, and learn