Key Terms for Memory
- absentmindedness
- lapses in memory that are caused by breaks in attention or our focus being somewhere else
- acoustic encoding
- input of sounds, words, and music
- amnesia
- loss of long-term memory that occurs as the result of disease, physical trauma, or psychological trauma
- anterograde amnesia
- loss of memory for events that occur after the brain trauma
- arousal theory
- strong emotions trigger the formation of strong memories and weaker emotional experiences form weaker memories
- Atkinson-Shiffrin model
- memory model that states we process information through three systems: sensory memory, short-term memory, and long-term memory
- automatic processing
- encoding of informational details like time, space, frequency, and the meaning of words
- bias
- how feelings and view of the world distort memory of past events
- blocking
- memory error in which you cannot access stored information
- chunking
- organizing information into manageable bits or chunks
- construction
- formulation of new memories
- declarative memory
- type of long-term memory of facts and events we personally experience
- effortful processing
- encoding of information that takes effort and attention
- elaborative rehearsal
- thinking about the meaning of new information and its relation to knowledge already stored in your memory
- encoding
- input of information into the memory system
- engram
- physical trace of memory
- episodic memory
- type of declarative memory that contains information about events we have personally experienced, also known as autobiographical memory
- equipotentiality hypothesis
- some parts of the brain can take over for damaged parts in forming and storing memories
- explicit memory
- memories we consciously try to remember and recall
- false memory syndrome
- recall of false autobiographical memories
- flashbulb memory
- exceptionally clear recollection of an important event
- forgetting
- loss of information from long-term memory
- implicit memory
- memories that are not part of our consciousness
- levels of processing
- information that is thought of more deeply becomes more meaningful and thus better committed to memory
- long-term memory (LTM)
- continuous storage of information
- memory
- set of processes used to encode, store, and retrieve information over different periods of time
- memory-enhancing strategy
- technique to help make sure information goes from short-term memory to long-term memory
- misattribution
- memory error in which you confuse the source of your information
- misinformation effect paradigm
- after exposure to additional and possibly inaccurate information, a person may misremember the original event
- mnemonic device
- memory aids that help organize information for encoding
- persistence
- failure of the memory system that involves the involuntary recall of unwanted memories, particularly unpleasant ones
- proactive interference
- old information hinders the recall of newly learned information
- procedural memory
- type of long-term memory for making skilled actions, such as how to brush your teeth, how to drive a car, and how to swim
- recall
- accessing information without cues
- recognition
- identifying previously learned information after encountering it again, usually in response to a cue
- reconstruction
- process of bringing up old memories that might be distorted by new information
- rehearsal
- repetition of information to be remembered
- relearning
- learning information that was previously learned
- retrieval
- act of getting information out of long-term memory storage and back into conscious awareness
- retroactive interference
- information learned more recently hinders the recall of older information
- retrograde amnesia
- loss of memory for events that occurred prior to brain trauma
- self-reference effect
- tendency for an individual to have better memory for information that relates to oneself in comparison to material that has less personal relevance
- semantic encoding
- input of words and their meaning
- semantic memory
- type of declarative memory about words, concepts, and language-based knowledge and facts
- sensory memory
- storage of brief sensory events, such as sights, sounds, and tastes
- short-term memory (STM)
- holds about seven bits of information before it is forgotten or stored, as well as information that has been retrieved and is being used
- storage
- creation of a permanent record of information
- suggestibility
- effects of misinformation from external sources that leads to the creation of false memories
- transience
- memory error in which unused memories fade with the passage of time
- visual encoding
- input of images