unit 5 Flashcards
memory
The persistence of learning over time through the storage and retrieval of information.
recall
Retrieving information that was learned earlier, as in a fill-in-the-blank question.
recognition
Identifying items previously learned, as in a multiple-choice question.
relearning
Learning something more quickly when you learn it a second or later time.
encoding
The process of getting information into the memory system—for example, by extracting meaning.
storage
The retention of encoded information over time.
retrieval
The process of getting information out of memory storage.
parallel processing
The processing of many aspects of a problem simultaneously; the brain’s natural mode of information processing for many functions.
sensory memory
The immediate, very brief recording of sensory information in the memory system.
short term memory
Activated memory that holds a few items briefly before the information is stored or forgotten.
long term memory
The relatively permanent and limitless storehouse of the memory system.
working memory
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.
explicit memory
Memory of facts and experiences that one can consciously know and “declare.”
effortful processing
Encoding that requires attention and conscious effort.
automatic processing
Unconscious encoding of incidental information, such as space, time, and frequency, and of well-learned information, such as word meanings.
implicit memory
Retention independent of conscious recollection.
iconic memory
A momentary sensory memory of visual stimuli; a photographic or picture-image memory lasting no more than a few tenths of a second.
echoic memory
A momentary sensory memory of auditory stimuli; if attention is elsewhere, sounds and words can still be recalled within 3 or 4 seconds.
chunking
Organizing items into familiar, manageable units; often occurs automatically.
mnemonics
Memory aids, especially those techniques that use vivid imagery and organizational devices.
spacing effect
The tendency for distributed study or practice to yield better long-term retention than is achieved through massed study or practice.
testing effect
Enhanced memory after retrieving, rather than simply rereading, information.
shallow proccessing
Encoding on a basic level based on the structure or appearance of words.
deep processing
Encoding semantically, based on the meaning of the words; tends to yield the best retention.
semantic memory
Explicit memory of facts and general knowledge; one of our two conscious memory systems.
episodic memory
Explicit memory of personally experienced events; one of our two conscious memory systems.
hippocampus
A neural center located in the limbic system that helps process explicit memories for storage.
memory consolidation
The neural storage of a long-term memory.
flashbulb memory
A clear memory of an emotionally significant moment or event.
long term potentiation
An increase in a synapse’s firing potential after brief, rapid stimulation; a neural basis for learning and memory.
priming
The activation, often unconsciously, of particular associations in memory.
encoding specificity principle
The idea that cues and contexts specific to a particular memory will be most effective in helping us recall it.
mood congruent memory
The tendency to recall experiences that are consistent with one’s current good or bad mood.
serial position effect
Our tendency to recall best the last and first items in a list.
anterograde amnesia
An inability to form new memories.
retrograde amnesia
An inability to retrieve information from one’s past.
proactive interference
The disruptive effect of prior learning on the recall of new information.
retroactive interference
The disruptive effect of new learning on the recall of old information.
repression
The basic defense mechanism that banishes from consciousness anxiety-arousing thoughts, feelings, and memories.
insight
A sudden realization of a problem’s solution; contrasts with strategy-based solutions.
