AP Psych Unit #5

the persistence of learning over time through the encoding, storage, and retrieval of information.

the processing of information into the memory system—for example, by extracting meaning.

the process of retaining encoded information over time.

the process of getting information out of memory storage.

the processing of many aspects of a problem simultaneously; the brain’s natural mode of information processing for many functions.

Contrasts with the step-by-step (serial) processing of most computers and of conscious problem solving.

the immediate, very brief recording of sensory information in the memory system.

activated 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.

the relatively permanent and limitless storehouse of the memory system. Includes knowledge, skills, and experiences.

a 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.

memory of facts and experiences that one can consciously know and “declare.” (Also called declarative memory.)

encoding that requires attention and conscious effort.

unconscious encoding of incidental information, such as space, time, and frequency, and of well-learned information, such as word meanings.

retention independent of conscious recollection. (Also called nondeclarative memory.)

a momentary sensory memory of visual stimuli; a photographic or picture - image memory lasting no more than a few tenths of a second.

a momentary sensory memory of auditory stimuli; if attention is elsewhere, sounds and words can still be recalled within 3 or 4 seconds.

organizing items into familiar, manageable units; often occurs automatically.

memory aids, especially those techniques that use vivid imagery and organizational devices.

the tendency for distributed study or practice to yield better long - term retention than is achieved through massed study or practice.

enhanced memory after retrieving, rather than simply rereading, information. Also sometimes referred to as a retrieval practice effect or test-enhanced learning.

encoding on a basic level based on the structure or appearance of words.

encoding semantically, based on the meaning of the words; tends to yield the best retention.

PAIN

a neural center located in the limbic system; helps process explicit memories for storage.

a clear memory of an emotionally significant moment or event.

an increase in a cell’s firing potential after brief, rapid stimulation. Believed to be a neural basis for learning and memory.

a measure of memory in which the person must retrieve information learned earlier, as on a fill-in-the-blank test.

a measure of memory in which the person need only identify items previously learned, as on a multiple-choice test.

a measure of memory that assesses the amount of time saved when learning material again.

the activation, often unconsciously, of particular associations in memory.

the tendency to recall experiences that are consistent with one’s current good or bad mood.

our tendency to recall best the last (a recency effect) and first items (a primacy effect) in a list.

an inability to form new memories.

an inability to retrieve information from one’s past.

The disruptive effect of prior learning on the recall of new information

the disruptive effect of new learning on the recall of old information.

in psychoanalytic theory, the basic defense mechanism that banishes from consciousness anxiety- arousing thoughts, feelings, and memories.

incorporating misleading information into one’s memory of an event.

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.

that eerie sense that “I’ve experienced this before.” Cues from the current situation may unconsciously trigger retrieval of an earlier experience.