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Learning: Principles and Applications, 4/e
Stephen B Klein, Mississippi State University

Memory Retrieval and Forgetting

Glossary


acoustic attribute  The acoustic properties of an event, which serve as a retrieval cue for that experience.
affective attribute  The mood state present during an event, which can serve as a memory attribute of that experience.
class associative attribute  The category name of a word that can serve as the memory attribute for the word.
context attribute  The context in which an event occurred, which can be a retrieval cue.
decay of forgetting view  The view that forgetting is due to the fading or erasure of a memory.
directed forgetting  The forgetting of an event following the presentation of the "forget cue."
engram  The physical representation of an event in a person's memory.
false memory syndrome  The creation of an inaccurate record of childhood sexual abuse.
forgetting  The inability to recall a past experience.
frequency attribute  The frequency of an event, which can be a retrieval cue.
generalized competition  A temporary tendency (or set) to respond with most recent learning.
interference  An inability to recall a specific memory due to the presence of other memories.
Kamin effect  The poor retention of a prior aversive experience or an intermediate retention test (1 to 4 hours after training) but good recall either immediately or 24 hours later.
list differentiation  An ability to distinguish between memories, reducing the level of interference.
memory attribute  A salient aspect of an event whose presence can lead to retrieval of the past event.
memory reconstruction  The alteration of a memory to provide a consistent view of the world.
modality attribute  Information about the sensory modality through which an event was experienced.
natural language mediator  The use of a word to mediate the association of two unrelated verbal units.
orthographic attribute  The feature properties of an event, which serve as a memory attribute.
parallel associative attribute  Associations that are based on equality (synonyms), opposition (antonyms), or functional contiguity.
proactive interference (PI)  The inability to recall recent experiences as a result of the memory of earlier experiences.
repressed memory  A process that submerges a memory into the unconscious to minimize anxiety and protect the self-concept.
retroactive interference (RI)  The inability to recall distant events because of the memory of more recent events.
spatial attribute  The spatial location of an item, which can serve as a memory attribute.
state-dependent learning  Learning based on events experienced in one state; the events will not be recalled if the subject is tested in a different state.
temporal attribute  The time that an event occurred, which can be a retrieval cue for that experience.
transformational attribute  A transformed or altered event that can serve as a memory attribute for that experience.
two-factor theory of interference  Melton and Irwin's idea that competition between memories causes PI and RI and that unlearning leads to RI.
verbal associative attribute  An attribute of a word that can act as a retrieval cue.