Name:
Period:
AP Psychology – Guided Reading
Unit 7A – Memory
Section 1 – The Phenomenon of Memory (Intro) and Section 2 – Information Processing
1. Define memory:
2. Define the following terms that deal with information processing:
a. encoding –
b. storage –
c. retrieval –
3. Compare the workings of a computer to that of a human’s memory.
4. Describe Atkinson’s and Shiffrin’s proposal of how we form memories:
a. sensory memory –
b. short-term memory –
c. long-term memory –
5. What two updated concepts modify the three step process?
a.
b.
HOW WE ENCODE
6. What is parallel processing?
7. What is automatic processing?
a. examples of automatic processing:
8. What is effortful processing?
a. Define and give your own example of rehearsal.
b. In terms of rehearsal, what was a simple beginning principle?
c. What is the spacing effect? How can it help you in this class?
d. What is the serial position effect?

What is the recency effect?

What is the primacy effect?
WHAT WE ENCODE
9. What is the author’s point to remember in regards to learning new subject material?
10. What is visual encoding? acoustic encoding? semantic encoding?
a. Define imagery –
b. What is rosy retrospection?
c. What are mnemonics? Provide an example when you have used a mnemonic
device.
11. What is chunking? When do you use it?
a. How can chunking also be used as a mnemonic device?
12. What are hierarchies?
a. How do hierarchies help us organize information better?
STORAGE: RETAINING INFORMATION
13. At the heart of memory is ____________________.
SENSORY MEMORY
14. What is iconic memory?
15. What is echoic memory?
WORKING/SHORT-TERM MEMORY
16. Without active processing, short-term memories have a __________________________.
17. What is meant by the magical number seven, plus or minus two?
18. Our short-term recall is better for . . .?
19. What is the basic principle regarding short-term memory?
LONG-TERM MEMORY
20. Our capacity for storing long-term memories is ___________________________.
21. In terms of memory as a psychological phenomena, we are reminded that:
STORING MEMORIES IN THE BRAIN
22. What did Karl Lashley find out about memories?
23. How does experience modify the brain’s neural networks?
24. What is long-term potentiation?
25. How can the development of certain drugs possibly boost memory?
26. How can drugs boosting glutamate help?
27. How does stress or excitement affect memories? (include discussion of the amygdala)
28. Weaker emotion means _______________________________ .
29. What are flashbulb memories? List a personal example.
30. What are some limits to stress-enhanced remembering?
31. What is amnesia?
32. Can somebody with amnesia or incapable of recalling new facts, learn? Explain/give
examples.
33. What is implicit memory (nondeclarative memory)?
34. What is explicit memory (declarative memory)?
35. What types of memories are “laid down” via the hippocampus?
36. How is the hippocampus active in processing memories during sleep?
37. What is the role of the cerebellum in processing memories?
38. What is infantile amnesia? Why can’t we recall anything from our first three years?
RETRIEVAL: GETTING THE INFORMATION OUT
39. Define and give an example of:
a. Recall:
b. Recognition:
c. Relearning:
40. What are retrieval cues and give an example.
a. What are the best retrieval cues?
41. What is priming?
42. How does context affect memories?
43. What is déjà vu?
44. What is a state-dependent memory?
45. Define mood-congruent. Can you think of a personal example?
46. Our mood’s effect on retrieval helps explain:
SECTION 3 – FORGETTING
47. According to memory researcher Daniel Schacter, describe the seven ways our memories
fail us.
a. Three sins of forgetting:



b. Three sins of distortion:



c. One sin of intrusion:

ENCODING FAILURE
48. How can age affect encoding?
49. Why is it hard to figure out which penny on page 280 is the correct one?
STORAGE DECAY
50. What is Hermann Ebbinghaus’ famous forgetting curve?
a. What is one explanation for the forgetting curves?
RETRIEVAL FAILURE
51. What is proactive interference?
52. What is retroactive interference?
53. Why is information presented before sleep protected from retroactive interference?
54. What is positive transfer?
55. Freud suggested we repress painful memories. What does this mean?
SECTION 4 – MEMORY CONSTRUCTION
56. We often _________________ our memories as we _____________ them.
57. What is the misinformation effect?
58. Describe imagination inflation.
59. The more vividly we can imagine things, the more likely we are to:
60. What is source amnesia?
61. People’s initial interpretations influence their:
62. Could we judge a memories reality by its persistence? Explain.
63. What does it mean we are more likely to remember the gist of a memory than the details?
64. Can children be accurate eyewitnesses? Explain.
** Study Repressed or Constructed Memories of Abuse? on your own.
65. List the seven strategies for improving memory.
a.
b.
c.
d.
e.
f.
g.