Memory Key Words

Encoding

Changing information so that it can be stored 

Storage

Holding information in the memory system

Retrieval

Recovering information from storage

Multi Store

The idea that information passes through a series of memory stores

Sensory Store

Holds information received from the senses for a very short period of time

Short Term Store

Holds approximately seven chunks of information for a limited amount of time

Long Term Store

Holds a vast amount of information for a very long period of time

Recency Effect

Information recieved later is recalled better than earlier information

Primacy Effect

The first information recieved is recalled better than subsequent information

Reconstructive Memory

Altering our recollection of things so that they make more sense to us

Structural Processing

Thinking about the physical appearance of words to be learnt

Phonetic Processing

Thinking about the sound of words to be learnt

Semantic Processing

Thinking about the meaning of words to be learnt

Levels of Processing

The depth at which information is thought about when trying to learn it 

Interference

Things that we have already learnt that make if difficult to recall other information that we have learnt

Retroactive Interference

When information we have recently learnt hinders our ability to recall information we have learnt previously 

Proactive Interference

When information we have already learnt hinders our ability to recall new information

Context

The general setting or environment in which activities happen

Anterograde Amnesia

Being unable to learn new information after suffering brain damage

Hippocampus

A brain structure which is crucial for memory

Retrograde Amnesia

Loss of memory for events that happened before brain damage occured 

Reliability

In the context of eyewitness testimony, the extent to which it can be regarded as being accurate

Leading Question

A question that hints that a particular type of answer is required

Cognitive Interview

A method of questioning witnesses that involves recreating the context of an event

Stereotype

An oversimplified, generalised set of ideas that we have about others, for example secondary head teachers are strict, intimidating, scary and male