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encode  To represent information in some form in the memory system.
stage theory of memory  A model of memory based on the idea that we store information in three separate but linked memories.
sensory register  The first stage of memory, in which an exact image of each sensory experience is held briefly until it can be processed.
short-term memory (STM)  The second stage of memory, in which five to nine bits of information can be stored for brief periods of time.
rehearsal  Mental repetition of information to retain it longer in short-term memory.
chunks  Units of memory.
long-term memory (LTM)  The third stage of memory, involving the storage of information that is kept for long periods of time.
procedural memory  Memory for motor movements and skills.
semantic memory  Memory for meaning without reference to the time and place of learning.
episodic memory  Memory for specific experiences that can be defined in terms of time and space.
declarative memory  Semantic and episodic memory.
recall method  A measure of memory based on the ability to retrieve information from longterm memory with few cues.
recognition method  A measure of memory based on the ability to select correct information from among the options provided.
relearning method  A measure of memory based on the length of time it takes to relearn forgotten material.
serial position effect  The finding that immediate recall of items listed in a fixed order is often better for items at the beginning and end of the list than for those in the middle.
levels of processing model  An alternative to the stage theory of memory stating that the distinction between short-term and long-term memory is a matter of degree rather than different kinds of memory and is based on how incoming information is processed.
elaboration  The process of creating associations between a new memory and existing memories.
decay theory  The theory that forgetting occurs as the memory trace fades over time.
interference theory  The theory that forgetting occurs because similar memories interfere with the storage or retrieval of information.
proactive interference  Interference created by memories from prior learning.
retroactive interference  Interference created by memories from later learning.
reconstruction (schema) theory  The theory that information stored in LTM sometimes changes over time to become more consistent with our beliefs, knowledge, and expectations.
false memory  Remembering an event that did not occur or that occurred in a way that was substantially different from the memory of the event.
motivated forgetting  Forgetting that is believed to be based on the upsetting or threatening nature of the information that is forgotten.
repression  Sigmund Freud's theory that forgetting occurs because the conscious mind often deals with unpleasant information by pushing it into unconsciousness.
engram  The partially understood memory trace in the brain that is the biological basis of memory.
synaptic facilitation  The process by which neural activity causes structural changes in the synapses that facilitate more efficient learning and memory.
anterograde amnesia  Disorder of memory characterized by an inability to store and/or retrieve new information in long-term memory.
hippocampus  The forebrain structure believed to play a key role in long-term memory.
retrograde amnesia  A memory disorder characterized by an inability to retrieve old long-term memories, generally for a specific period of time extending back from the beginning of the disorder.
Korsakoff's syndrome  A disorder involving both anterograde and retrograde amnesia caused by excessive use of alcohol.







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