semantic memory
explicit memory of facts and general knowledge; one of our two conscious memory systems (the other is episodic memory)
episodic memory
explicit memory of personally experienced events; one of our two conscious memory systems (the other is semantic memory)
hippocampus
a neural center that is located in the limbic system and helps process explicit memory for storage
memory consolidation
the neural storage of a long-term memory
flashbulb memory
a clear memory of an emotionally significant moment or event
long-term potentiation (LTP)
an increase in a synapse's firing potential after brief, rapid stimulation. Believed to be a neural basis for learning and memory
priming
the activation, often unconsciously, of certain associations, thus predisposing one's perception, memory, or response
encoding specificity principle
the idea that cues and contexts specific to a particular memory will be most effective in helping us recall it
mood-congruent memory
the tendency to recall experiences that are consistent with one's current good or bad mood
serial position effect
our tendency to recall best the last and first items in a list