Vocabulary: Episodic memories are personal experiences stored as episodes, while semantic memories contain general knowledge and facts.

Definition: Explicit memories are consciously recalled information, whereas implicit memories are unconsciously stored and retrieved.

Example: A flashbulb memory might be where you were during a significant historical event, stored with exceptional clarity due to emotional significance.

Highlight: Brain damage can lead to different types of amnesia - retrograde (loss of past memories) or anterograde (inability to form new memories).

Definition: The Levels of Processing model suggests that memory retention depends on how deeply information is processed during encoding.

Example: The serial position effect explains why we tend to remember items at the beginning (primacy) and end (recency) of a list better than those in the middle.

Vocabulary: Priming refers to the activation of particular associations in memory that can influence subsequent information processing.

Definition: Context dependency relates to how environmental factors during encoding affect later retrieval.

Example: State dependency shows how our emotional or physical state during learning can affect our ability to recall information later.

Definition: The misinformation effect occurs when misleading information becomes incorporated into existing memories.

Highlight: Forgetting can occur due to encoding failure, storage decay, or retrieval failure.

Example: Proactive interference occurs when old information interferes with learning new information, like when an old phone number makes it harder to remember a new one.

Definition: Mnemonics are memory aids that help organize information for better recall.

Example: The SQ3R method (Survey, Question, Read, Recite, Review) helps improve textbook material retention.

Vocabulary: Chunking involves grouping information into smaller, more manageable units for easier remembering.

Definition: Concepts are cognitive rules we apply to categorize and understand stimuli.

Example: When solving problems, we might use algorithms (systematic approaches) or heuristics (mental shortcuts).

Highlight: Mental sets can create cognitive rigidity, making it harder to see alternative solutions to problems.

Definition: Algorithms are step-by-step procedures that guarantee a solution, while heuristics are mental shortcuts that may not always lead to the correct answer.

Example: When trying to crack a PIN code, using every possible combination is an algorithm, while using birth dates is a heuristic.

Vocabulary: Functional fixedness refers to the inability to see alternative uses for objects beyond their primary function.

Definition: The three-box information processing model describes how information moves through different memory stages: sensory, short-term, and long-term memory.

Highlight: Encoding is crucial for memory formation as it transforms information into a format that our memory system can process and store effectively.

Example: When you learn a new phone number, acoustic encoding helps you remember the sound pattern of the numbers, while semantic encoding helps you associate meaning with the sequence.