Memory Strategies
taking individual pieces of information and grouping them into larger units in order to improve the amount of information you can remember
chunking
a mental framework that serves to interpret and organize information
schema
memory of one’s personal experiences (ex. “this one time at band camp”)
episodic memory
the influence of bodily sensations, gestures, and postures on how we encode information and store memories
embodied cognition
done actively, or with effort (ex. studying)
effortful processing
techniques for improving memory through acronyms
mnemonic devices
psychoanalytic theory; basic defense mechanism that banishes anxiety-arousing thoughts/feelings/memories from consciousness
repression
memory of people/words/events encountered or experienced in the past
retrospective memory
new and improved atkinson/shiffrin; consists of a central executive, which controls and coordinates the operation of 2 subsystems (phonological loop & visuo-spatial sketch pad)
working memory
done passively, or without effort (time/space/frequency)
automatic processing
repetitive review of information, which can involve repeating or verbalizing information to remember it
rehearsal
unlimited storehouse of information; includes knowledge, skills, and experiences
long-term memory
remembering to perform a planned action or intention
prospective memory
forgetting even after encoding something we can still forget (memory curve can fade fast then level out)
storage decay
conscious processing and unconscious processing going on simultaneously, a “two track mind”
dual-processing theory
learning is greater when studying is spread out over time, as opposed to studying the same amount of time in a single session
spacing effect
the inability to see a new use for an object (an example of a mental set)
functional fixedness
facts/experiences that we are consciously aware of
explicit memory
disruptive effect of new learning on the recall of old information
retroactive interference
the processing of several aspects of an object simultaneously
parallel processing
mnemonic based on linking items to be remembered with objects in familiar locations
method of loci
incorporating misleading information into one’s memory of an event (ex. when cars hit or when cars smashed into each other)
misinformation effect
retention of memories that happen without being aware (ex. procedural, associations, priming)
implicit memory
disruptive effect of prior knowledge on ability to recall new information
proactive interference
taking sensory information and assembling/integrating it
bottom-up processing