Chapter 6 Flashcards
(27 cards)
The Memory Paradox
Memory is Extremely
Fallible – We Can
Have Terrible
Memory!
Memory is Extremely
Incredible – The
Amount of Info in
Memory is Amazing!
Flashbulb Memories
Flashbulb memories are vivid, emotionally intense recollections of significant events, but despite the confidence people have in them, they are fallible and can become distorted over time. Many people vividly recall where they were on 9/11, but studies show their details often change over time.
Memory
A family of
processes involved in
encoding, storing, and
retrieving information about
our experience of the world
Encode
to mentally process information in a way that enables
you to later have conscious access to it
memory of Loci
The Method of Loci is a mnemonic technique that involves associating information with specific locations in a familiar place to enhance memory recall.
Example: To remember a speech, you mentally place each key point in different rooms of your house and “walk” through them while recalling the speech.
Short-term memory
memory
responsible for storing
information only momentarily
Long-term memory
memory
responsible for storing
information for a relatively long
time
Sensory memory
the brief, initial storage of sensory information before it fades or is transferred to short-term memory.
Chunking
organize smaller bits of
information into larger meaningful
combinations
Elaboration
making links between
new knowledge and existing
knowledge
Self-reference effect
thinking
about how the material might be
relevant to you
Hierarchical organization
arrange
material into a meaningful network
of associations
Depth of
Encoding
The degree to which
a person encodes
information. Deep
encoding is
associated with
better memory
Spacing Effect
studying
in shorter, spaced- out
study sessions (instead of
cramming)
Retrieval
that act of accessing
memory
Testing effect:
the phenomenon
whereby practice retrieving
information (taking a test) improves
memory for that material
Generation effect
the
enhancement of memory for a list of
items a person has generated versus
one that a person has memorized
Context-dependent
memory
the
enhancement of
memory when the
retrieval context is the
same as the learning
context
7 sins of memory
Transience
Absent-mindedness
Blocking
Misattribution
Suggestibility
Bias
Persistence
Transience
The forgetting of memory over time
Absent-mindedness:
The failure to encode due to
inattention
Blocking
The inability to access memories that are
intact and encoded
Misattribution
The failure to remember the source of
the memory
Suggestibility
The tendency to reshape one’s memory
according to misleading external information
