Cognition & memory

Question 1

memory

Answer 1

the persistence of learning over time through the encod- ing, storage, and retrieval of information.

Question 2

shallow processing

Answer 2

encoding on a basic level based on the structure or appearance of words

Question 3

encoding

Answer 3

the processing of information into the memory system, for example, by extracting meaning.

Question 4

deep processing

Answer 4

encoding semantically, based on the meaning of the words; tends to yield the best retention.

Question 5

storage

Answer 5

the process of retaining encoded information over time

Question 6

hippocampus

Answer 6

a neural center located in the limbic system; helps

process explicit memories for storage.

Question 7

retrieval

Answer 7

the process of getting information out of memory storage.

Question 8

flashbulb memory

Answer 8

a clear memory of an emotionally significant moment or event.

Question 9

parallel processing

Answer 9

the processing of many aspects of a problem simultaneously; the brain’s natural mode of information processing for many functions, including vision. Contrasts with the step-by- step (serial) processing of most computers and of conscious prob- lem solving.

Question 10

long term potentiation (LTP)

Answer 10

an increase in a cell’s firing potential after brief, rapid stimulation. Believed to be a neural basis for learning and memory.

Question 11

sensory memory

Answer 11

the immediate, very brief recording of sensory in- formation in the memory system.

Question 12

recall

Answer 12

a measure of memory in which the person must retrieve in- formation learned earlier, as on a fill-in-the-blank test.

Question 13

short term memory

Answer 13

short-term memory activated memory that holds a few items briefly, such as the seven digits of a phone number while dialing, before the information is stored or forgotten.

Question 14

recognition

Answer 14

a measure of memory in which the person need only identify items previously learned, as on a multiple-choice test.

Question 15

long term memory

Answer 15

the relatively permanent and limitless storehouse of the memory system. Includes knowledge, skills, and experiences.

Question 16

relearning

Answer 16

a measure of memory that assesses the amount of time saved when learning material again.

Question 17

working memory

Answer 17

a newer understanding of short-term memory that focuses on conscious, active processing of incoming auditory and visual-spatial information, and of information retrieved from long-term memory.

Question 18

priming

Answer 18

the activation, often unconsciously, of certain associa- tions, thus predisposing one’s perception, memory, or response.

Question 19

effortful processing

Answer 19

encoding that requires attention and con- scious effort.

Question 20

mood congruent memory

Answer 20

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

Question 21

automatic processing

Answer 21

unconscious encoding of incidental infor- mation, such as space, time, and frequency, and of well-learned in- formation, such as word meanings.

Question 22

serial positioning effect

Answer 22

our tendency to recall best the last (a recency effect) and first items (a primacy effect) in a list.

Question 23

anterograde amnesia

Answer 23

an inability to form new memories.

Question 24

implicit memory

Answer 24

retention independent of conscious recollection. (Also called nondeclarative memory.)

Question 25

retrograde amnesia

Answer 25

an inability to retrieve information from one’s past.

Question 26

iconic memory

Answer 26

a momentary sensory memory of visual stimuli; a photographic or picture-image memory lasting no more than a few tenths of a second.

Question 27

proactive interefrene

Answer 27

the disruptive effect of prior learning on the recall of new information.

Question 28

echoic memory

Answer 28

a momentary sensory memory of auditory stim- uli; if attention is elsewhere, sounds and words can still be recalled within 3 or 4 seconds.

Question 29

repression

Answer 29

in psychoanalytic theory, the basic defense mechanism that banishes from consciousness anxiety-arousing thoughts, feelings, and memories.

Question 30

chunking

Answer 30

organizing items into familiar, manageable units; often occurs automatically.

Question 31

misinformation effect

Answer 31

incorporating misleading information into one’s memory of an event.

Question 32

mnemonics

Answer 32

any device or technique used to assist memory, usually by forging a link or association between the new information to be remembered and information previously encoded. For instance, one might remember the numbers in a password by associating them with familiar birth dates, addresses, or room numbers.

Question 33

source amnesia

Answer 33

attributing to the wrong source an event we have experienced, heard about, read about, or imagined. (Also called source misattribution.) Source amnesia, along with the misinformation effect, is at the heart of many false memories.

Question 34

spacing effect

Answer 34

the tendency for distributed study or practice to yield better long-term retention than is achieved through massed study or practice.

Question 35

deja vu

Answer 35

that eerie sense that “I’ve experienced this before.” Cues from the current situation may unconsciously trigger retrieval of an earlier experience.

Question 36

testing effect

Answer 36

enhanced memory after retrieving, rather than simply rereading, information. Also sometimes referred to as a retrieval practice effect or test-enhanced learning.