Exam #2 Chapter 6: Memory

Question 1

What is encoding?

Answer 1

Converting environmental & mental stimuli into memorable brain codes

Question 2

2. What is Storage?

Answer 2

Holding on” to encoded information

Question 3

3. What is Retrieval?

Answer 3

a. Pulling information from storage

Question 4

4. Explain the Atkinson Shiffrin Model.

Answer 4

a. (1) Sensory memory- hold information in its original form only for an instant
i. Capacity: Sperling’s experiment suggested a capacity of 9-12 items
ii. Duration: is very brief with most gone in less than 1 second
b. (2) Short Term Memory- Memory system in which information is held for brief periods of time while being used
i. Capacity: The digit span test suggests the average capacity is between 5-9 items
ii. Duration: only lasts for roughly 30 seconds
c. (3) Long term memory: permanent type of memory that holds huge amounts of information for a long period of time
i. Storage and duration are thought to be unlimited

Question 5

5. What is chunking?

Answer 5

a. grouping units into higher order units that can be remembered

Question 6

6. What is the Levels-of-Processing Model?

Answer 6

a. Assumes information that is more “deeply processed,” or processed according to its meaning rather than just the sound or physical characteristics of the word or words, will be remembered
more efficiently and for a longer period of time

Question 7

7. What is Declarative Memory and what are the subsets of it?

Answer 7

Declarative memory (explicit): conscious recollection of information such as specific facts or events

i. Semantic memory: involves general knowledge
ii. Episodic memory: retention of autobiographical information

Question 8

8. What is a Nondeclarative Memories and what is a subset of it?

Answer 8

a. (Implicit) Behavior is affected by prior experience without that experience being consciously recollected (remembered)
i. Procedural Memory: memory for skills that often don’t require direct attention and continual conscious awareness to learn and improve

Question 9

9. What is Priming?

Answer 9

a. a type of incidental learning where exposure to events that influence future behavioral, emotional, and/or cognitive responses, which are generally unintentional

Question 10

10. What are the Retrieval Cues and tasks?

Answer 10

a. Recall- memory task without cues

b. Recognition- memory task with cues to help recognize learned items

Question 11

11. What is State dependent memory?

Answer 11

a. People recall information better when they are in the same psychological state or mood as learning

Question 12

12. What is the serial position effect?

Answer 12

a. If given a list, only the beginning and end of the list will be memorized better than the middle
i. Primary Effect: Good at memorizing things in the beginning of the list
ii. Recency Effect: Good at memorizing things in the beginning of the list

Question 13

13. What is an encoding failure?

Answer 13

a. (Possibilities for Forgetting) Information never makes it into storage (long term memory)

Question 14

14. What is retrieval failure?

Answer 14

a. Forgetting can result from failure to retrieve information from long term memory

Question 15

15. What is the Proactive Intererence?

Answer 15

a. Information learned EARLIER (list A) interferes with information learned LATER (list B)

Question 16

16. What is the Retroactive Interference?

Answer 16

a. Information learned LATER (list B) interferes with information learned EARLIER (list A)

Question 17

17. What is amnesia and what are other types of it?

Answer 17

a. Amnesia: significant and abrupt loss of memory
i. Organic versus Nonorganic (Psychogenic) Amnesia
ii. Retrograde versus Anterograde Amnesia