Memory Systems
Encoding
Memory Strategies
Retrieval
Memory Failures
100

The initial, fleeting stage of memory which briefly holds incoming sensory information before it is either processed into the next stage or forgotten

Sensory Memory

100

The initial stage of memory which involves converting sensory input into a usable form for the brain

Encoding

100

In contrast to elaborative rehearsal, this technique uses simple repetition and is ineffective for transferring information into long-term memory

Maintenance Rehearsal

100

The final process in memory, after encoding and storage, where you bring information out of long-term memory and into your conscious mind

Retrieval

100

In psychoanalytic theory, this defense mechanism unconsciously pushes painful or threatening thoughts, impulses, and memories into the unconscious mind

Repression

200

The memory store that is also known as short term memory and typically only holds information for 15 to 30 seconds unless it is actively rehearsed

Primary Memory System

200

A student who only tries to remember vocabulary words by rhyming them, without understanding their definitions, is engaging in this type of encoding

Shallow Encoding

200

When a musician learns a new piece, they use this strategy to encode music notes in clusters, instead of processing each note individually

Chunking

200

Also known as declarative memory, this is intentionally retrieved and includes two subtypes

Explicit Memory

200

When an eyewitness's memory of a crime is distorted by news reports or suggestive questioning from police, they are experiencing this memory phenomenon

Misinformation Effect

300

The term that refers to your ability to think about your own thinking, like when you realize a study method isn't working and decide to try a different one

Metacognition

300

A beginner learning to play a violin or solve complex math problems would rely on this type of encoding, which requires focused concentration

Effortful Processing

300

A student who stays up all night studying for a final exam is utilizing this type of practice, which is less effective for long-term retention than spacing

Massed Practice

300

The memory phenomenon that explains why an interviewer might base their entire impression on the first few things a candidate says

Primacy Effect

300

The condition that was famously exhibited by patient H.M., who, after surgery, could remember his past but was unable to form new long-term memories

Anterograde Amnesia

400

The term describing the neurological process, often occurring during deep sleep, that stabilizes a new memory and makes it more resistant to being forgotten

Memory Consolidation

400

The modern take on short term memory, in which your mind works to actively process information rather than passively storing it

Working Memory

400

The phenomenon that explains why you remember more information by studying for one hour each day than by pulling an all-nighter

Spacing Effect

400

This memory phenomenon is why a veteran might experience flashbacks upon returning to a specific geographic area

Context-Dependent Memory

400

This occurs when new learning disrupts the recall of previously learned information

Retroactive Interference

500

The neural change that occurs in the hippocampus during memory consolidation, making it easier for a neural pathway to be reactivated over time

Long-Term Potentiation

500

These are three distinct levels of encoding, from least to most effective for recall, that focus on a word's physical appearance, its sound, and finally, its meaning

Structural, Phonemic, Semantic

500

The reason why you remember the first few words and the last few words on a vocab list, but might forget most of the ones in the middle

Serial Position Effect

500

If you study for a test while in a cheerful and optimistic mood, this memory principle suggests you would score best by taking the test while feeling the same way

State-Dependent Memory

500

This memory phenomenon explains why an individual might accidentally write last year's date on a check, as the old information gets in the way of remembering the new

Proactive Interference

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