Chapter 8 Psychology David Myers

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

anterograde amnesia

an inability to form new memories

source amnesia

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

shallow processing

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

effortful processing

encoding that requires attention and conscious effort

numonics

memory aids, especially those techniques that use vivid imagery and organizational devices

explicit memory

memory of facts and experiences that one can consciously know and declare

chunking

organizing items into familiar, manageable units, often occurs automatically

deja vu

that eerie sense that i've experienced this before. cues fro the current situation may subconsciously trigger retrieval of an earlier experience

priming

the activation often unconsciously of particular associations in memory

memory

the persistence of learning over time through the storage and retrieval of information

retrieval

the process of getting information out of memory storage

encoding

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

long term memory

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

storage

the retention of encoded information over time

mood congruent memory

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

automatic processing

unconscious encoding of incidental information, such as space, time, and frequency and well learned information such as word meanings

recall

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

testing effect

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

flashbulb memory

a clear memory of an emotionally significant moment of event

recognition

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

relearning

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

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

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

hippocampus

a neural center located in the limbic system; helps process explicit memories for storage

short term memory

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

retrograde amnesia

an inability to retrieve information from one's past

long term potentiation

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

repression

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

misinformation effect

incorporating misleading information into one's memory of an event

serial position effect

our tendency to recall best the last and first items in a list

implicit memory

retention independent of conscious recollection

proactive interference

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

sensory memory

the immediate, very brief recording of sensory information in the memory system

spacing effect

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