Imagination Inflation: Memory’s Creative Expansion

Imagination inflation occurs when individuals develop greater confidence in the truth of an event after imagining it, potentially leading to the formation of false memories. The term often relates to childhood memories, as these are typically more malleable and susceptible to misconceptions. Several factors have been linked to an increase in the imagination inflation effect. Imagining a fictitious…

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What is State-Dependent Memory: Context in Recall

State-dependent memory refers to when a person’s ability to recall information is influenced by their particular mental or physical state state at the time of encoding the memory. If the internal state during recall matches the state during encoding, retrieval of the memory is typically more successful. This  cognitive psychology concept highlights the tight interplay…

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The Atkinson-Shiffrin Model of Memory: Multi-store Memory

The Atkinson-Shiffrin model of memory, formulated by psychologists Richard Atkinson and Richard Shiffrin, offers a structured illustration of the human information processing system. First proposed in 1968, the model includes three main components: Sensory memory: A temporary repository that captures all sensory information, where most of it is lost unless attention is directed to it. Short-term store:…

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Semantic Memory

Semantic memory refers to long-term memory that processes ideas and concepts that are not drawn from personal experience; our autobiographical memory. This type of memory includes common knowledge, such as the fact that Paris is the capital of France or that a dog is an animal, rather than recalling a specific event or occurrence. It is a part…

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Baddeley’s Model of Working Memory

Alan Baddeley and Graham Hitch presented the Baddeley model of working memory in 1974 in an attempt to give a more accurate model of primary memory (also known as short-term memory). Working memory divides main memory into several components rather than viewing it as a unitary construct. As an alternative to the short-term store in…

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Encoding Memory Types

Memory is capable of encoding, storing, and recalling information, enabling an organism to learn and adapt from prior experiences, as well as to form relationships with other memories. Encoding a memory converts a perceived item of use or interest into a construct that may be stored within the brain and later recalled from long-term memory.…

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Long Term Potentiation

Long-term potentiation (LTP), in neuroscience, refers to a persistent strengthening of synapses based on recent patterns of activity. These are synaptic activity patterns that result in a long-term increase in signal transmission between two neurons. Long-term depression, the inverse of LTP, results in a long-term decline in synaptic strength. It is one of several mechanisms…

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Identifying the Brain’s Episodic Memory Performance Signals

Summary: Researchers have released the results of the world’s largest functional imaging study on memory. They found a direct association between brain activity during the memorization process and subsequent memory performance. The study asked nearly 1,500 participants aged between 18 and 35 to memorize 72 images while researchers recorded their brain activity using MRI. The…

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Memory Performance Improves with Deep Brain Stimulation

Credit: NICHD, I. Williams CC-BY

New research led by scientists from UCLA Health and Tel Aviv University provides the first physiological evidence from within the human brain to support the prevailing scientific theory regarding how the brain consolidates memories during sleep. Furthermore, the researchers discovered that targeted deep-brain stimulation during a critical time in the sleep cycle appeared to improve…

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