Memory 7 Flashcards
know everything
What do we mean by saying that memory is constructive in real-life situations?
When we say memory is constructive, we mean that people rebuild memories based on what they actually experienced plus their expectations, beliefs, and later information — not as a perfect recording.
What is autobiographical memory?
A memory of a individual’s history.
How did Marigold Linton’s data (1982) about autobiographic memory differ from a
typical forgetting curve?
He found that the rate of forgetting was linear (not a curve).
How is self-esteem related to autobiographical memory?
People with positive self-esteem remember more positive events and those with negative self-esteem remember more negative events.
How is depression related to autobiographical memory?
Depressed people tend to remember more negative memories that people who are not depressed.
What is flashbulb memory?
A memory of an event so powerful that an individual remembers it as vividly as if it was presented on film.
According to Conway (1995), under what circumstances is memory most likely to
become a flashbulb memory?
If it was important to the individual if it was surprising and if it had some emotional effect.
List and briefly describe the seven sins of memory according to Schacter.
Here’s a clear and brief list of the seven sins of memory according to Daniel Schacter:
Transience – Memories fade over time.
Absent-mindedness – Forgetting due to inattention or distraction.
Blocking – Failing to retrieve a memory even when you know it (like a “tip-of-the-tongue” moment).
Misattribution – Remembering information correctly but attributing it to the wrong source.
Suggestibility – Memories can be altered by misleading information from others.
Bias – Current beliefs or feelings distort memories of past events.
Persistence – Unwanted memories, often negative, keep coming back.
What is the general conclusion from the research on eyewitness testimony led by
Elisabeth Loftus?
The general conclusion from Elizabeth Loftus’s research is that eyewitness memory is highly vulnerable to distortion by misleading information and suggestions.
What are some reasons for skepticism regarding repressed memories recovered through
psychotherapy?
Skepticism regarding repressed memories recovered through psychotherapy arises due to concerns about the reliability of these memories, as they can be influenced by therapeutic techniques, leading to the creation of false memories or distortions, and the lack of corroborative evidence to support the accuracy of the memories.
What is the source-monitoring error?
A source-monitoring error occurs when a person misattributes the source of a memory, such as confusing whether they experienced an event themselves, heard about it from someone else, or imagined it. This can lead to false memories or inaccurate recollections of events.
How do moods and different states of consciousness affect semantic information
retrieval?
Moods and different states of consciousness can affect semantic information retrieval by influencing how easily we access and interpret information. For example, when we’re in a particular mood (e.g., happy or sad), we tend to recall information that is consistent with that mood, a phenomenon known as mood-congruent memory. Similarly, altered states of consciousness, such as being intoxicated or sleep-deprived, can impair our ability to retrieve information or affect the accuracy of that retrieval.
What is meant by the term encoding specificity?
What is recalled depends on what is encoded.
