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AP Psychology - Memory Flashcards

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

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5872822785memorythe persistence of learning over time through the storage and retrieval of information.0
5872822786encodingthe processing of information into the memory system—for example, by extracting meaning.1
5872822787storagethe retention of encoded information over time.2
5872822788retrievalthe process of getting information out of memory storage.3
5872822789sensory memorythe immediate, very brief recording of sensory information in the memory system.4
5872822790short-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
5872822791long-term memorythe relatively permanent and limitless storehouse of the memory system. Includes knowledge, skills, and experiences.6
5872822792working 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
5872822793automatic processingunconscious encoding of incidental information, such as space, time, and frequency, and of well-learned information, such as word meanings.8
5872822794effortful processingencoding that requires attention and conscious effort.9
5872822795rehearsalthe conscious repetition of information, either to maintain it in consciousness or to encode it for storage.10
5872822796spacing effectthe tendency for distributed study or practice to yield better long-term retention than is achieved through massed study or practice.11
5872822797serial position effectour tendency to recall best the last and first items in a list.12
5872822798visual encodingthe encoding of picture images.13
5872822799acoustic encodingthe encoding of sound, especially the sound of words.14
5872822800semantic encodingthe encoding of meaning, including the meaning of words.15
5872822801imagerymental pictures; a powerful aid to effortful processing, especially when combined with semantic encoding.16
5872822802mnemonicsmemory aids, especially those techniques that use vivid imagery and organizational devices.17
5872822803chunkingorganizing items into familiar, manageable units; often occurs automatically.18
5872822804iconic memorya momentary sensory memory of visual stimuli; a photographic or picture-image memory lasting no more than a few tenths of a second.19
5872822805echoic memoryA momentary sensory memory of auditory stimuli; if attention is elsewhere, sounds and words can still be recalled within 3 or 4 seconds.20
5872822806long-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.21
5872822807flashbulb memorya clear memory of an emotionally significant moment or event.22
5872822808amnesiathe loss of memory.23
5872822809implicit memoryretention independent of conscious recollection. (Also called procedural memory.)24
5872822810explicit memorymemory of facts and experiences that one can consciously know and "declare." (Also called declarative memory.)25
5872822811hippocampusa neural center that is located in the limbic system; helps process explicit memories for storage.26
5872822812recalla measure of memory in which the person must retrieve information learned earlier, as on a fill-in-the-blank test.27
5872822813recognitiona measure of memory in which the person need only identify items previously learned, as on a multiple-choice test.28
5872822814relearninga measure of memory that assesses the amount of time saved when learning material for a second time.29
5872822815primingthe activation, often unconsciously, of particular associations in memory.30
5872822816déjà vuthat eerie sense that "I've experienced this before." Cues from the current situation may subconsciously trigger retrieval of an earlier experience.31
5872822817mood-congruent memorythe tendency to recall experiences that are consistent with one's current good or bad mood.32
5872822818proactive interferencethe disruptive effect of prior learning on the recall of new information.33
5872822819retroactive interferencethe disruptive effect of new learning on the recall of old information.34
5872822820repressionin psychoanalytic theory, the basic defense mechanism that banishes anxiety-arousing thoughts, feelings, and memories from consciousness.35
5872822821misinformation effectincorporating misleading information into one's memory of an event.36
5872822822source amnesia (source misattribution)attributing 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.37
5872822823serial processingoccurs when the brain computes information step-by-step in a methodical and linear matter38

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