Power functions describe the relationships among many variables observed in nature. One example of this is the power law of forgetting: The decline in memory performance with time or intervening events is well fit by a power function.

The idea that memory traces simply decay in strength with time is one of the common explanations of forgetting.

States that forgetting occurs because memories interfere with and disrupt one another, in other words forgetting occurs because of interference from other memories.

The increase in reaction time related to an increase in the number of facts associated with a concept.

·         Recognition times or error rate for a particular concept increases as more information about the concept is acquired. 

This controversy involves cases where individuals claim to recover memories of childhood sexual abuse that they had suppressed (Schacter, 2001).

A study where participants studied a list of words that were either true (on the list), false (strongly associated with words on the list), or new (not on the list). Participants mostly accepted the true words, mostly rejected the new words, but could not reject false words. 

It is easier to remember happy memories when one is in a happy state and sad memories when one is in a sad state.

States that people find it easier to recall information if they can return to the same emotional and physical state they were in in when they learned the information.

The probability of recalling an item at test depends on the similarity of its encoding at test to its original encoding at study.

A chronic memory disorder caused by severe deficiency of thiamine (vitamin B-1). Korsakoff syndrome is most commonly caused by alcohol misuse, a blow to the head, and brain infections like encephalitis.

Refers to the loss of memory for events that occurred before an injury.

Refers to the inability to learn new things.

Contrasts or dissociations between implicit and explicit memory.

• Is described as a discontinuity in the normally integrated functions of memory, identity, perception, experience, and consciousness

The term used to describe knowledge that we can consciously recall.

The term used to describe knowledge that we cannot consciously recall but that nonetheless manifests itself in our improved performance on some tasks.

Enhancement of perceptual recognition.

It refers to activating particular representations or associations in memory just before carrying out an action or task.

·         For example, a person who sees the word yellow will be slightly faster to recognize the word banana. This happens because the concepts of yellow and banana are closely associated in memory. 

Knowledge exercised in the performance of some task.  

·         Also known as imperative knowledge. 

Refers to factual memories we can explicitly recall.