What is the term for the vivid memory of an emotionally significant event? A flashbulb memory.
What type of long-term memory includes skills and procedures, like riding a bike? Procedural memory (a type of non-declarative or implicit memory).
What is the loss of memory for events that occurred before brain injury called? Retrograde amnesia.
What is the misinformation effect? The misinformation effect occurs when misleading information presented after an event distorts one’s memory of the original event.
What is the term for the inability to retrieve information stored in long-term memory? Forgetting.
What are the three boxes in the information-processing model of memory? Sensory Memory, Short-Term Memory, and Long-Term Memory.
What is the process of getting information out of memory storage called? Retrieval.
What type of memory is often intact in amnesic patients who cannot form new declarative memories? Procedural memory (implicit memory) is often intact.
How does the misinformation effect impact eyewitness testimony? It suggests that eyewitness memories can be easily contaminated by leading questions or post-event information, making them less reliable.
Why are flashbulb memories not necessarily more accurate than other memories? While they feel vivid and confident, flashbulb memories are still susceptible to distortion and decay over time, just like other memories. The confidence does not guarantee accuracy.
What is the difference between implicit and explicit memory? Explicit memory involves conscious, intentional recollection of information. Implicit memory involves unconscious influence of past experience on current behavior, without conscious recollection.
How does source amnesia contribute to false memories? Source amnesia is the inability to remember where, when, or how one learned information. We may remember the information but attribute it to the wrong source, potentially creating a false belief.
What is the role of the cerebellum in memory? The cerebellum is important for the storage of procedural memories and classical conditioning (implicit memory), particularly those involving motor skills.
How can retrieval cues help overcome forgetting? Retrieval cues are stimuli that help us access information stored in long-term memory. The more cues available that were present during encoding, the more likely retrieval will be successful.
Explain Ebbinghaus’s forgetting curve. The forgetting curve shows that memory for novel information drops rapidly immediately after learning and then levels off, showing a steep decline in retention over the first few days, followed by a slower rate of loss.
How do emotions influence memory encoding and retrieval? Strong emotions, especially stress, can enhance the encoding of memory details (via amygdala-hippocampus interaction). However, extreme stress can also impair memory. Mood-congruent memory means we recall information better when our mood matches the emotional tone of the memory.
What is the difference between anterograde and retrograde amnesia? Anterograde amnesia is the inability to form new memories after the injury. Retrograde amnesia is the loss of memories from before the injury.
A person can play a complex piano piece but cannot remember ever learning it. This suggests their ________ memory is intact. Procedural (Implicit).
After hearing a false description of a car accident, a witness later recalls seeing broken glass that wasn’t there. This is the ________. Misinformation Effect.
A war veteran cannot remember any events from his combat experience. This is likely ________. Retrograde Amnesia (related to the traumatic events).
Studying for a test in the same classroom where you will take it might improve your performance due to ________. Context-dependent memory.
The smell of a certain perfume reminds you vividly of your grandmother. The smell is a powerful ________. Retrieval Cue.
A person confidently and vividly remembers the details of where they were when they heard about a major national tragedy. This is a ________. Flashbulb Memory.
A patient with amnesia can learn and get better at a new motor skill each day, despite having no conscious memory of the previous practice sessions. This demonstrates the preservation of ________. Implicit Memory (specifically procedural memory).
How might a lawyer’s phrasing of a question (“How fast were the cars going when they smashed into each other?”) influence a witness’s memory? The word “smashed” is a suggestive post-event information that could lead the witness to remember the cars going faster and to recall seeing broken glass that wasn’t there, due to the misinformation effect.
