Key Terms

absentmindedness: lapses in memory that are caused by breaks in attention or our focus being somewhere else
acoustic encoding: input of sounds, words, and music
amnesia: loss of long-term memory that occurs as the result of disease, physical trauma, or psychological trauma
anterograde amnesia: loss of memory for events that occur after the brain trauma
arousal theory: strong emotions trigger the formation of strong memories and weaker emotional experiences form weaker memories
Atkinson-Shiffrin model: memory model that states we process information through three systems: sensory memory, short-term memory, and long-term memory
automatic processing: encoding of informational details like time, space, frequency, and the meaning of words
bias: how feelings and view of the world distort memory of past events
blocking: memory error in which you cannot access stored information
chunking: organizing information into manageable bits or chunks
construction: formulation of new memories
declarative memory: type of long-term memory of facts and events we personally experience
effortful processing: encoding of information that takes effort and attention
elaborative rehearsal: thinking about the meaning of new information and its relation to knowledge already stored in your memory
encoding: input of information into the memory system
engram: physical trace of memory
episodic memory: type of declarative memory that contains information about events we have personally experienced, also known as autobiographical memory
equipotentiality hypothesis: some parts of the brain can take over for damaged parts in forming and storing memories
explicit memory: memories we consciously try to remember and recall
false memory syndrome: recall of false autobiographical memories
flashbulb memory: exceptionally clear recollection of an important event
forgetting: loss of information from long-term memory
implicit memory: memories that are not part of our consciousness
levels of processing: information that is thought of more deeply becomes more meaningful and thus better committed to memory
long-term memory (LTM): continuous storage of information
memory: set of processes used to encode, store, and retrieve information over different periods of time
memory-enhancing strategy: technique to help make sure information goes from short-term memory to long-term memory
misattribution: memory error in which you confuse the source of your information
misinformation effect paradigm: after exposure to additional and possibly inaccurate information, a person may misremember the original event
mnemonic device: memory aids that help organize information for encoding
persistence: failure of the memory system that involves the involuntary recall of unwanted memories, particularly unpleasant ones
proactive interference: old information hinders the recall of newly learned information
procedural memory: type of long-term memory for making skilled actions, such as how to brush your teeth, how to drive a car, and how to swim
recall: accessing information without cues
recognition: identifying previously learned information after encountering it again, usually in response to a cue
reconstruction: process of bringing up old memories that might be distorted by new information
rehearsal: repetition of information to be remembered
relearning: learning information that was previously learned
retrieval: act of getting information out of long-term memory storage and back into conscious awareness
retroactive interference: information learned more recently hinders the recall of older information
retrograde amnesia: loss of memory for events that occurred prior to brain trauma
self-reference effect: tendency for an individual to have better memory for information that relates to oneself in comparison to material that has less personal relevance
semantic encoding: input of words and their meaning
semantic memory: type of declarative memory about words, concepts, and language-based knowledge and facts
sensory memory: storage of brief sensory events, such as sights, sounds, and tastes
short-term memory (STM): holds about seven bits of information before it is forgotten or stored, as well as information that has been retrieved and is being used
storage: creation of a permanent record of information
suggestibility: effects of misinformation from external sources that leads to the creation of false memories
transience: memory error in which unused memories fade with the passage of time
visual encoding: input of images