Overview of Memory Overview

Memory quality differs greatly between individuals due to genetics, environment, and personal experiences.

False memories can occur, remembering things that aren't actually present; brains make sense of information, sometimes wrongly.

Memories are actively rebuilt, not simply replayed, influenced by personal perspectives.

Observing oneself (like a photo) or experiencing an event personally (emotionally).

The initial record of information through senses and perception.

Focusing on specific stimuli, like at a busy party, to remember key information.

Deep processing (meaning/context) creates stronger memories than shallow processing (appearance).

Connecting new information to what you already know enhances understanding and memory.

A reinforcement schedule where a varying number of responses are required before reinforcement is given. Leads to high response rates.

Reinforcement is delivered after a set amount of time has passed, regardless of the number of responses.

Reinforcement is delivered after varying amounts of time have passed, leading to steady response rates.

Learning that occurs without apparent reinforcement and is not immediately demonstrable in behaviour.

Learning by watching and imitating others, including the consequences of their actions.

A study demonstrating that children imitate aggressive behavior they observe in adults.

Memory is the ability to retain and access information over time; essential for daily life.

The concept that memory, while vital, can also be fallible and susceptible to distortion.

Distorting scientific theories for harmful social agendas, like eugenics.

Galton's statistical methods, though advanced, were prone to misinterpretations and biased conclusions.

The argument about whether genetics or environment shape traits, Galton's work initially focused on heredity in human traits.

Scientists must consider the potential harm their theories or applications might cause.

Inaccurate recollections of events, often due to misinformation or stress, leading to wrongful convictions.

Human memory is prone to errors, misinterpretations, and distortions, especially under stress.

Memories aren't static recordings but are actively built, potentially incorporating false information.

High-stress situations can impair memory accuracy and lead to misremembering events.

Stimuli that satisfy basic biological needs, such as hunger or thirst, directly motivating behavior.

Conditioning a behavior to occur only in response to specific cues, thus creating a discriminative stimulus.

Learning that occurs without reinforcement but becomes observable when a reward is presented.

Learning by observing and imitating others' behavior and its consequences.

Brief storage of sensory information; a fleeting glimpse of the world around us.

Deep processing of information (meaning and context) leads to better memory retention compared to shallow processing (appearance).

Better recall for items at the beginning of a list.

Brain structure crucial for forming new memories.

Describes the rate at which information is forgotten over time without reinforcement.

Old information interferes with the learning or recall of new information.

New information interferes with the recall of old information.

Loss of memory for events that occurred before an injury or trauma.

Thinking that generates many different ideas and solutions to a problem; creative thinking.

How the way information is presented or framed influences decisions or judgments.

Stages in language acquisition, like babbling or telegraphic speech, usually displayed by kids.

General intelligence factor; the idea that intelligence is a single underlying ability.

Learning through association; associating a neutral stimulus with a stimulus that naturally triggers a response.

Learning through consequences; behaviors are strengthened or weakened by their results.

A stimulus that initially does not produce a specific response.

A stimulus that automatically triggers a specific, natural response.

A stimulus that, after association with an unconditioned stimulus, triggers a learned response.

A learned response to a conditioned stimulus.

Reinforcing successive approximations of a desired behavior to achieve a complex behavior.

Increasing a behavior by adding a desirable stimulus.