Psychology- Chapter 6- Human Memory

deja vu

.already seen .cues from the current situation may subconsciously trigger the retrieval of a similar earlier experience

encoding

.automatic processing- encoding that occurs without intention / requires minimal attention .effortful processing- requires attention / conscious effort

retroactive interference

.backwards acting .disruptive effect on new learning on recall of old info

Craik and Lockhart

.believed elaborative rehearsal involves deeper processing than maintenance rehearsal, and it is more effective in transferring into long term memory

sensory memory

.briefly holds incoming sensory info .auditory/visual- lasts approximately 1/4 second

declarative

.explicit .involves factual knowledge .Two Types: episodic and semantic

proactive interference

.forward acting .disruptive effect of prior learning on recall of new info

long-term memory

.huge capacity of stored info .potentially long duration .organized by meaning

procedural

.implicit .is reflected in skills / actions

Forgetting as Interference

.learning some items may disrupt retrieval of other info .proactive and retroactive interference

Recall

.measure of memory in which the person must retrieve info learned earlier .fill-in-the blank

Recognition

.measure of memory in which the person only has to identify items previously learned .multiple-choice test

mnemonics

.memory aids .especially those techniques that use vivid imagery / organizational devices

Mood Congruent Memory

.tendency to recall experiences that are consistent with one's mood .memory, emotions, or mood serve as retrieval cues

imagery

.the creation of visual images to represent the words to be remembered .enrich encoding

Process of Memory

1.Encoding 2.Storage 3.Retrieval

episodic

store our knowledge concerning personal experience

Strong emotions make for _____________.

stronger memory

schemas

an organized cluster of knowledge about a particular object or event

false memory syndrome

condition in which a person's identity and relationships center around a false but strongly believed memory of traumatic experience

Long-Term Memory

declarative and procedural process

repression

defense mechanism that banishes from conscious anxiety-arousing thoughts, feelings, memories

phonological encoding

does this word rhyme with another word?

elaborative rehearsal

focusing on the meaning of information or expanding on it in some way

Forgetting and Retrieval

forgetting can result from failure to retrieve info from long term memory

storage

hold in memory

long term potentiation

increase in synapse's firing potential after brief, rapid stimulation

Forgetting as Encoding Failure

info never enters the long term memory

chunking

involves grouping or "packing" information that exceeds the 7+/-2 memory span in high-order units that can be remembered as single units

maintenance rehearsal

involves simple repetition

Levels of Processes

theory that proposes that deeper levels of processing results in longer-lasting memory codes

context-dependent memory

typically easier to remember something in the same environment in which originally encoded

state-dependent memory

what is learned in one state can be more easily remembered when in that state

structural encoding

what the word looks like

decay theory

with time and disuse the long term physical memory trace in the nervous system fades away

semantic encoding

you pay attention to the meaning of the word

short-term memory

limited-capacity memory system in which information is usually retained for only as long as 30 seconds

Atkinson-Shiffrin Theory

memory is composed of three major components: 1.sensory memory 2.short-term memory 3.long-term memory

Serial Position Curve

occurs when subjects show better recall for items at the beginning / end of the list then for items in the middle

motivated forgetting

people unknowingly revise memories

retrograde amnesia

person loses memories for events that occurred prior to the injury

encoding

put into memory

primary effect

recall of first items due to rehearsal in STM

recency effect

recall of last items still fresh in the STM

retrieval

recover from memory

Memory

refers to the processes that allow us to record (encode), store, and later retrieve experiences / info

semantic

represents general, factual knowledge about the world and language

Rehearsal

Process of repeating info over and over again to retain it in the STM

anterograde amnesia

a person loses memories for events that occur after injury