Chapter 8: Memory
elaborative rehearsal
a technique in which you think about the meaning of the new information and its relation to knowledge already stored in your memory
short-term memory
a temporary storage system that processes incoming sensory memory
proactive interference
old information hinders the recall of newly learned information
false memory syndrome
recall of false autobiographical memories
retrieval
the act of getting information out of memory storage and back into conscious awareness
sematic encoding
words and their meaning
recall
accessing information without cues
flashbulb memory
an exceptionally clear recollection of an important event
prefrontal cortex
appears to be involved in remembering semantic tasks
hippocampus
associated with declarative and episodic memory as well as recognition memory
blocking
cannot access stored information
anterograde amnesia
cannot remember new information, although you can remember information and events that happened prior to your injury
suggestibility
describes the effects of misinformation from external sources that leads to the creation of false memories
automatic processing
encoding of details like time, space, frequency, and the meaning of words
effortful processing
encoding that requires much work and attention
bias
feelings and view of the world distort your memory of past events; stereotypical, egocentric, and hindsight
misattribution
happens when you confuse the source of your information
misinformation effect paradigm
holds that after exposure to incorrect information, a person may misremember the original event
recognition
identifying information that you have previously learned after encountering it again
equipotentiality hypothesis
if part of one are of the brain involved in memory is damaged, another part of the same area can take over that memory function
visual encoding
images
episodic memory
information about events we have personally experienced
retroactive inference
information learned more recently hinders the recall of older information
amygdala
involved in fear and fear memories
semantic memory
knowledge about words, concepts, and language-based knowledge and facts
absentmindedness
lapses in memory caused by breaks in attention or our focus being somewhere else
relearning
learning information that you previously learned
forgetting
loss of information from long-term memory
retrograde amnesia
loss of memory for events that occurred prior to the trauma
transience
memories can fade over time
implicit memories
memories that are not part of our consciousness
explicit memories
memories we consciously try to remember and recall
mnemonic devices
memory aids that help us organize information for encoding
cerebellum
plays a role in processing procedural memories, such as how to play the piano
acoustic encoding
sounds
sensory memory
storage of brief sensory events, such as sights, sounds, and tastes
arousal theory
strong emotions trigger the formation of strong memories, and weaker emotional experiences form weaker memories
rehearsal
the conscious repetition of information to be remembered; memory consolidation
long-term memory
the continuous storage of information
storage
the creation of a permanent record of information
construction
the formulation of new memories
engram
the group of neurons that serve as the "physical representation of memory"
encoding
the input of information into the memory system
amnesia
the loss of long-term memory that occurs as a result of disease, physical trauma, or psychological trauma
reconstruction
the process of bringing up old memories; vulnerable to distortions
memory
the set of processes used to encode, store, and retrieve information over different periods of time
declarative memory
the storage of facts and events we personally experienced
self-reference effect
the tendency for an individual to have better memory for information that relates to oneself in companies to material that has less personal relevance
procedural memory
type of implicit memory that stores information about how to do things
7, 20, 9
typically you are able to keep __ things in your memory for that __ seconds, but really you can keep __
persistence
when you keep remembering something, to the point where you can't "get it out of your head" and it interferes with your ability to concentrate on other things
chunking
you organize information into manageable bits or groups