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Study Guide for Gen. Psychology 202 Midterm

Encoding Processing information into the memory system

storage Retaining information over time

3 steps in memory processing 1.

Encoding2. Storage3. Retrieval

selective attention A way to process information by directing our

attention to things we consider important;

improves encoding

divided attention Interferes with encoding information; when we

are not focusing completely on the task at hand;

multi-tasking

short-term memory (STM) Second stage of memory processing that

temporarily stores information from sensorymemory until the brain decides whether to send it

on to the long-term memory (third stage);

Retains information for approximately 30 seconds

or less (unless renewed)

long-term memory (LTM) Third stage of memory processing that stores

information for long periods of time; its capacity

is virtually limitless and duration is relatively

permanent;

Provides relatively permanent storagemaintenance rehearsal Consciously and continuously repeating

information over and over again to maintain in the

short term memory (STM)

chunking Grouping separate pieces of information into a

single unit (or chunk) to help when memorizing

purpose of long-term memory To serve as a storehouse for information that must

be kept for long periods of time

2 major systems of long-term

memory

1. Explicit (declarative)2. Implicit (non-declarative)

explicit/declarative memory Intentional learning/ conscious knowledge;

memory with awareness;

made up of semantic memory (memory for facts

and general knowledge) and episodic memory

(memory of our past experiences)

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implicit/non-declarative memory Unintentional learning/ unconscious knowledge;

memory without awareness; procedural motor

skills (tying your shoes) and classically

conditioned responses (fears and taste aversions)

recall Retrieving a memory using a general cueserial position effect When you learn something you remember the

beginning/start (primary effect) and the end

(recency effect) and you forget what you learned

in between/ the middle

retrieval cue Clue or prompt that helps stimulate recall;

recognition, recall, and priming

recognition A retrieval cue used when recognizing the correct

response or answer (a multiple choice quiz);

retrieving a memory using a specific cue

Priming exposure to a stimulus/ prime activates therecovery; the phone rings and reminds you of

your promise to call your friend

mood congruent memory When a given mood evokes a memory that is

consistent with that mood;

you remember something from the last time you

were in a specific mood

state-dependent memory When you learn something while in a certain state

(like being under the influence of a drug) you will

remember it more easily when youre in the samestate

context-dependent memory When you learn something in the certain context

(i.e. location, setting, time) you are more likely to

recall it easier in the same context

relearning Learning material a second time, which usually

takes less time than the original learning

encoding failure When we learn information and it is in the short

term memory we decide there is no need to

remember certain details so we dont encode them

and they dont get passed on to the long term

memory

retrieval failure Memories that are stored in long term memory

and a inaccessible for a moment (because of

faulty cues, interference, or emotional states)

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tip-of-the-tongue phenomenon The feeling that at any second a word or event

you are trying to remember will pop out from the

tip of your tongue

retroactive interference Backward-acting;

happens when new information interferes with oldinformation;

when you learn a new name you forget an old one

proactive interference Forward-acting;

Happens when old information interferes with

new information;

using your exs name with your new love interest

misinformation effect Distortion of a memory by misleading post-event

information;

when we are remembering something we tend to

add things that werent there if we felt they shouldhave been (flash card SLEEP wasnt there but it

fit with the category)

source amnesia Forgetting the true source of a memory;

AKA source confusion or source misattribution

the sleeper effect Information from an unreliable source, which was

initially discounted, later gains credibility because

the source is forgotten (the campus gossiper)

massed practice Cramming; time spent learning something is

grouped/ massed into long, unbroken intervalsAlzheimer's disease (AD) Progressive mental deterioration characterized by

severe memory loss

mnemonic devices Memory improvement technique based on

encoding items in a special way;

Memory aids/ tricks

artificial or formal concepts Concepts created from logical rules or definitions;

rules for inclusion are sharply defined

mental image A mental representation of a previously stored

sensory experience which includes visual,

auditory, olfactory, tactile, motor, and gustatory

imagery (visualizing a train and hearing the horn)

a concept Mental representations of a group or category that

share similar characteristics;

the concept of a river groups together the Nile and

the Mississippi

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babbling Vowel/ constant combinations that infants begin

to produce at about 4-6 months of age

(i.e. bahbahbah and dahdahdah)

Chomskys Language acquisition

theory

Children are prewired with the ability to learn

languages;Children are prewired with the language

acquisition device that allows them the ability to

analyze language and extract the basic rules of

grammar

Skinners Language acquisition

theory

We learn languages by the familiar principles of

association (of sights of things with sounds of

words);

imitation (of words and syntax modeled by

others);

reinforcement (with success, smiles and hugs aftersaying something right)

phoneme The smallest distinctive sound units that make up

every language;

Smallest basic unit of speech or sound

morphemes The smallest meaningful units of language;

created by combining phonemes

estimated # of languages that exist

in the world today

6,800

Whorf's linguistic determinism Language determines thought;language expresses thought

a mental set A habit;

persisting in using problem solving strategies that

have worked in the past rather than trying new

ones

Creative thinking Ability to produce valued outcomes in a novel

way (creativity);

thinking with originality, fluency, and flexibility

divergent thinking A type of thinking in which many possibilities are

developed from a single starting point;

A major element of creativity

syntax Grammatical rules for putting words and phrases

in correct order to convey meaning

semantics Set of rules for using words to create meaning;

The study of meaning

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overgeneralize as it relates to

language acquisition

When children (2-5 years old) apply the basic

rules of grammar even to cases that are exceptions

to the rule

(i.e. I goed to the zoo and Two mans

savants People that are mentally retarded but they exhibitexceptional skill of brilliance in some limited field