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AP Psychology - Cognition - Memory Flashcards

All terms from Myers Psychology for AP (BFW Worth, 2011)

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7018001602memorythe persistence of learning over time through the storage and retrieval of information.0
7018001603encodingthe processing of information into the memory system—for example, by extracting meaning.1
7018001604storagethe retention of encoded information over time.2
7018001605retrievalthe process of getting information out of memory storage.3
7018001606sensory memorythe immediate, very brief recording of sensory information in the memory system.4
7018001607short-term memoryactivated memory that holds a few items briefly, such as the seven digits of a phone number while dialing, before the information is stored or forgotten.5
7018001608long-term memorythe relatively permanent and limitless storehouse of the memory system. Includes knowledge, skills, and experiences.6
7018001609working memorya 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.7
7018001610parallel processingthe processing of many aspects of a problem simultaneously; the brain's natural mode of information processing for many functions, including vision. Contrasts with the step-by-step (serial) processing of most computers and of conscious problem solving.8
7018001611automatic processingunconscious encoding of incidental information, such as space, time, and frequency, and of well-learned information, such as word meanings.9
7018001612effortful processingencoding that requires attention and conscious effort.10
7018001613rehearsalthe conscious repetition of information, either to maintain it in consciousness or to encode it for storage.11
7018001614spacing effectthe tendency for distributed study or practice to yield better long-term retention than is achieved through massed study or practice.12
7018001615serial position effectour tendency to recall best the last and first items in a list.13
7018001616visual encodingthe encoding of picture images.14
7018001617acoustic encodingthe encoding of sound, especially the sound of words.15
7018001618semantic encodingthe encoding of meaning, including the meaning of words.16
7018001619imagerymental pictures; a powerful aid to effortful processing, especially when combined with semantic encoding.17
7018001620mnemonicsmemory aids, especially those techniques that use vivid imagery and organizational devices.18
7018001621chunkingorganizing items into familiar, manageable units; often occurs automatically.19
7018001622iconic memorya momentary sensory memory of visual stimuli; a photographic or picture-image memory lasting no more than a few tenths of a second.20
7018001623echoic memoryA momentary sensory memory of auditory stimuli; if attention is elsewhere, sounds and words can still be recalled within 3 or 4 seconds.21
7018001624long-term potentiation (LTP)an increase in a synapse's firing potential after brief, rapid stimulation. Believed to be a neural basis for learning and memory.22
7018001625flashbulb memorya clear memory of an emotionally significant moment or event.23
7018001626amnesiathe loss of memory.24
7018001627implicit memoryretention independent of conscious recollection. (Also called non-declarative or procedural memory.)25
7018001628explicit memorymemory of facts and experiences that one can consciously know and "declare." (Also called declarative memory.)26
7018001629hippocampusa neural center that is located in the limbic system; helps process explicit memories for storage.27
7018001630recalla measure of memory in which the person must retrieve information learned earlier, as on a fill-in-the-blank test.28
7018001631recognitiona measure of memory in which the person need only identify items previously learned, as on a multiple-choice test.29
7018001632relearninga measure of memory that assesses the amount of time saved when learning material for a second time.30
7018001633primingthe activation, often unconsciously, of certain associations, thus predisposing one's perception, memory, or response.31
7018001634déjà vuthat eerie sense that "I've experienced this before." Cues from the current situation may subconsciously trigger retrieval of an earlier experience.32
7018001635mood-congruent memorythe tendency to recall experiences that are consistent with one's current good or bad mood.33
7018001636proactive interferencethe disruptive effect of prior learning on the recall of new information.34
7018001637retroactive interferencethe disruptive effect of new learning on the recall of old information.35
7018001638repressionin psychoanalytic theory, the basic defense mechanism that banishes anxiety-arousing thoughts, feelings, and memories from consciousness.36
7018001639misinformation effectincorporating misleading information into one's memory of an event.37
7018001640source amnesiaattributing to the wrong source an event we have experienced, heard about, read about, or imagined. (Also called source misattribution.) Source amnesia, along with the misinformation effect, is at the heart of many false memories.38
7018001641serial processingoccurs when the brain computes information step-by-step in a methodical and linear matter39

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