Memory (constructed)
Ability to store and retrieve information
over time. Memory is subjective
Encoding
Process by which we transform what we perceive, think, or feel into an enduring memory
Storage
Process of maintaining information in
memory over time
Retrieval
Process of bringing to mind information that has been previously encoded and stored
Sematic Encoding
Process of actively relating new
information to knowledge that
is already in memory (the
“gist” of the information)
Visual Encoding
Process of storing new information by converting it into mental pictures
Organizational Encoding
Process of categorizing information according to the relationships among a series of items
Sensory Memory
Storage that holds sensory information
for a few seconds or less
Echoic Memory
Fast- decaying store ofauditory information (5 sec.)
Iconic Memory
Fast- decaying store of visual
information (1 sec.)
Rehearsal
Process of keeping information in STM by mentally repeating it
Short-term Memory
Storage that holds non-sensory information for more than a few seconds but less than a minute; can hold about seven (7) items
Chunking
Combining small pieces of information into larger clusters that are more easily held in STM
Working Memory
Active maintenance of information in STM. Long-term memory (LTM)
Long-term Memory
Storage that holds information for hours, days, weeks, or years; no known capacity
Consolidation
Process by which memories become stable in the brain
Encoding Specificity
Idea that a retrieval cue can serve as an effective reminder when it helps recreate the specific way in which information was initially encoded
State-dependent retrieval
Tendency for information to be better
recalled when the person
is in the same state during encoding
and retrieval
Transfer-appropriate Processing
Memory is likely to transfer from
one situation to another when
the encoding context of the situations match
Explicit Memory
Act of consciously or intentionally retrieving past experiences
Implicit Memory
Influence of past experiences on later behavior, even without an
effort to
remember them or an awareness of the recollection
Procedural Memory
Gradual acquisition of skills as a result of practice, or “knowing how” to do things
Semantic Memory
Network of associated facts and concepts that make up our general knowledge of the world
Episodic Memory
Collection of past personal experiences that occurred at a particular time and place
Collaborative Memory
how people remember in groups
Collaborative Inhibition
the same number of individuals working together recall fewer items than they would on their own
Transience
Forgetting what occurs with the passage of time
Retroactive Interference
Situations in which information learned later impairs memory for information acquired earlier
Proactive Interference
Situations in which information learned earlier impairs memory for information acquired later
Absentmindedness
Lapse in attention that results in memory failure (failure to encode)
Prospective Memory
Remembering to do things in the future
Blocking
Failure to retrieve information that is available in memory even though you are trying to produce it (retrieval failure)
Tip-of-the-tongue Phenomenon
The inability to recall a word while knowing it is in memory.
Memory Misattribution
Assigning a recollection or an idea to the wrong source
Source Memory
Recall of when, where, and how
information was acquired
False Recognition
Feeling of familiarity about something that hasn’t been encountered before
Suggestibility
Tendency to incorporate misleading
information from external
sources into personal recollections
Bias
Distorting influences of present knowledge, beliefs, and feelings on recollection of previous experiences
Consistency Bias
Tendency to reconstruct the past to fit the present
Persistence
Intrusive recollection of events that
we wish we could forget
Retrograde amnesia
when you can't recall memories from your past
Anterograde amnesia
when you can't form new memories but can still remember things from before you developed this amnesia.