Chapter 9
sensory processing
-large capacity -brief duration -separate channels for different sensory types (acoustic, visual, etc.)
priming
a change in a response to a stimulus as a result of exposure to a previous stimulus
spreading activation model
a connectionist theory proposing that people organize general knowledge based on their individual experiences
explicit memory
a conscious memory; also known as declarative memories
information processing
a continuum including attention, sensation, perception, learning, memory, and cognition
forgetting
a decrease in the ability to remember a previously formed memory
semantic memory
a general knowledge memory organized by category -declarative, explicit -sensory and motor cortex
episodic memory
a memory for personal experience organized chronologically -declarative, explicit -prefrontal cortex
cue
a stimulus that aids retrieval
the Atkison-Shiffrin Model of Memory
according to this classic model of memory, information flows through a series of stages. If memory is not transferred to the next stage, it is permanently lost. sensory input -> sensory memory -> short-term memory(->rehearsal) -> long-term memory
flashbulb memory
an especially vivid and detailed memory of an emotional event
working memory
an extension of the concept of short-term memory that includes the active manipulation of multiple types of information simultaneously
procedural memory
an implicit memory for how to carry out skilled movement -nondeclarative, implicit -basal ganglia
implicit memory
an unconscious memory; also known as a nondeclarative memory
interference
competition between newer and older information in memory -assessed by comparing performance in a list-learning task
declarative memory
consciously retrieved memories that are easy to verbalize, which include semantic, episodic, and autobiographical information; also known as explicit memories
motivated forgetting
failure to retrieve negative memories -comparison of recall for memories associated with positive or negative emotions
encoding specificity
memories incorporate unique combinations of information when encoded
mnemonics
memory aids that link new information to well-known information
decay
reduction in ability to retrieve rarely used information over time -assessed using savings technique
rehearsal
repetition of information
autobiographical memory
semantic or episodic memories that reference the self -declarative, explicit -combination of prefrontal, sensory, and motor cortex
schema
set of expectations about objects and situations
levels of processing
the depth (shallow to deep) of processing applied to information that predicts its ease of retrieval
long-term potentiation (LTP)
the enhancement of communication between two neurons resulting from their synchronous activation
long-term memory
the final stage of Atkinson-Shiffrin model that is the location of permanent memories
sensory memory
the first stage of the Atkinson-Shiffrin model that holds large amounts of incoming data for very brief amounts of time
chunking
the process of grouping similar meaningful information together
reconstruction
the rebuilding of memory out of stored elements
retrieval
the recovery of stored information
storage
the retention of information
short-term memory
the second stage of the Atkison-Shiffrin model that holds a small amount of information for a limited time -expansion of capacity through chunking -expansion of duration through rehearsal
encoding
the transformation of information from one form to another
nondeclarative memory
unconsciously and effortlessly retrieved memories that are difficult to verbalize, including memories for classical conditioning, procedural learning, and priming; also known as implicit memories
