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Psychology vocabulary · Cognition and Perception

Memory

Meaning in psychology, with examples

/ˈmeməri/nounCore term

In psychology, memory means: The ability to take in, store and later recall information and experiences; the word can also mean one particular thing that is remembered.

In Turkish: bellek, hafıza, anı

How it is used

Researchers talk about stages (encoding, storage, retrieval) and systems (short-term, long-term and working memory). Clinicians ask about memory problems. 'A memory' is countable when it means a recollection, as in childhood memories or traumatic memories.

Example sentences

  1. Older participants performed worse on the memory task but not on the vocabulary test.

  2. She says the memory of the accident comes back whenever she drives at night.

Common collocations

  • short-term memory
  • long-term memory
  • memory loss
  • retrieve a memory
  • memory task
  • working memoryThe limited system that holds information for a few seconds and works with it while we use it, for example keeping a phone number in mind while dialling.
  • attentionThe ability to focus mental resources on some information while ignoring the rest, for example following one conversation in a noisy room.
  • cognitionThe mental processes we use to gain and use knowledge, such as thinking, remembering, paying attention, understanding language and solving problems.
  • traumaA deeply distressing experience, such as violence, a serious accident or a disaster, or the lasting psychological harm that such an event can cause.

More terms: Cognition and Perception

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This page explains English vocabulary for learners. It is not medical advice.