| Term | Definition |
|---|
| memory | persistence of learning over time through the storage and retrieval of information |
| flashbulb memory | clear memory of an emotionally significant moment or event |
| encoding | processing of information into the memory system- for example, extracting meaning |
| storage | retention of encoded information over time |
| retrieval | process of getting information out of memory storage |
| sensory memory | the immediate, very brief recording of sensory information in the memory system |
| short-term memory | activated memory that holds a few items briefly, such as the seven digits of a phone number while dialing |
| long-term memory | relatively permanant and limitedless storehouse of the memory system |
| working memory | newer understanding of short-term memory that involves conscious, active processing of incomine auditory and visual-spatial information |
| automatic processing | unconscious encoding of incidental information, such as space, time, and frequence |
| effortful processing | encoding that requires attention conscious effort |
| rehearsal | conscious repetition of information, either to maintain it in consciousness or to encode it for storage |
| spacing effect | tendency for distributed study or practice to yield better long-term retention than is achieved through massed study or practice |
| serial position effect | our tendency to recall best the last and first items in a list |
| visual encoding | encoding of picture images |
| acoustic encoding | encoding of sound, especially the sound of words |
| semantic encoding | encoding of meaning, including the meaning of words |
| imagery | mental pictures; powerful aid to effortful processing |
| mnemonics | memory aids; like vivid imagery |
| chunking | organizing items into familiar, manageable units; often occurs automatically |
| iconic memory | momentary sensory memory of visual stimuli |
| echoic memory | momentary sensory memory of auditory stimuli; sounds can be recalled within 3 or 4 seconds |
| long-term potentiation (LTP) | increase in synapse's firing potential after brief, rapid stimulation |
| amnesia | loss of memory |
| implicit memory | retention independent of conscious recollection |
| explicit memory | memory of facts and experiences that one can consciously know and "declare" |
| hippocampus | neural center that is located in limbic system and helps process explicit memories for storage |
| recall | measure of memory in which the person must retrieve information learned earlier |
| recognition | measure of memory in which the person need only identify items previously learned |
| relearning | memory measure that assesses the amount of time saved when learning material for a second time |
| priming | activation, often unconsciously, of particular associations in memory |
| deja vu | that eerie sense that "I've experienced this before" |
| mood-congruent memory | tendency to recall experiences that are consistent with one's current good or bad mood |
| proactive interference | disruptive effect of prior learning on the recall of new information |
| retroactive interference | disruptive effect of new learning on the recall of old information |
| repression | in psychoanalytic theory, the basic defense mechanism that banishes from consciousness anxiety-arousing thoughts, feelings, and memories |
| misinformation effect | incorporating misleading information into one's memory of an event |
| source amnesia | attributing to the wrong source an event we have experienced, heard about, read about, or imagined |
Combine with other sets
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