Key Terms
Memory
Ability to store and retrieve information over time Cognition: acquiring and using knowledge Explicit memory: consciousl
Cognition
The processes of acquiring and using knowledge.
Definition
Mentally replaying events and imagining alternative outcomes ("what might have been").
Information flows
Sensory Memory --> Short-Term Memory --> Long-Term Memory Most information never makes it all the way through.
Working memory
The set of active processes used to make sense of, manipulate, and store information in STM. Not a place; a set of opera
Central executive
The part of working memory that directs attention and manages processing strategies (like deciding to rehearse a phone n
Elaborative encoding
Processing new information in ways that make it more meaningful or relevant. Connecting concepts, finding relationships,
Self-reference effect
Information encoded in relation to yourself is remembered better than information encoded any other way. Rogers, Kuiper,
Tip-of-the-tongue phenomenon
Being certain you know something but unable to retrieve it. Information is in memory - the retrieval pathway is blocked.
Context-dependent learning
Retrieval is better when the environment at test matches the environment at encoding. Godden and Baddeley (1975) - scuba
State-dependent learning
Better retrieval when internal state matches encoding state Serial position curve: better recall for first and last item
Serial position curve
When recalling a list, people remember items at the beginning and end better than items in the middle.
Retroactive interference
New learning impairs memory for old information. Direction: new --> backward --> disrupts old.
Proactive interference
Old learning blocks new encoding Spreading activation: activating one concept activates related ones Prototype: most typ
Spreading activation
Activating one concept in a category automatically activates related concepts. Thinking of "screwdriver" makes "wrench"